TORONTO – After Ontario ended, on March 21, mandatory masking in indoor public spaces, including classrooms, on Friday about 30 out of 583 TDSB schools reported classes that shifted to remote asynchronous learning, estimated to be the highest number of classes affected by staff absences in a single day during the pandemic. 

The high level of absences is due to a combination of religious holidays as well as existing staffing challenges amid the sixth wave of COVID-19, said TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird.

At the same time, because of staff on leave, students in affected classes have been instructed to work remotely and independently, as there is no teacher to lead the lesson.