Ontario Is Shutting Down All Public Schools Due to Coronavirus

Ontario is shutting down publicly funded schools until April 5, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement issued Thursday by the office of Premier Doug Ford, the provincial government said public schools will remain closed for two weeks following spring break, meaning kids will be out of school from March 14 to April 5.

“We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on families, students, schools, as well as the broader community, but this precaution is necessary to keep people safe,” said the statement.

There are currently 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario and an additional 536 the province has listed as “under investigation.” One of the newly confirmed cases is a baby under the age of 1. A total of 4,185 patients have been approved for testing to date.

The province said its latest measures to deal with the outbreak include “enhanced access to screening, expanding lab-testing capacity, and implementing new initiatives to keep the public and frontline workers safe.” The government is setting aside $100 million in the 2020 budget to “address challenges related to COVID-19” but did not specify what those challenges might entail.

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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