TORONTO – Of the 331 new Covid-19 infections detected today in Ontario, 144 are linked to schools. The Ministry of Education has reported that there have been 123 new infections among students, 20 new infections in staff and a new case in a non-teaching member. 

In fact, the number of active infections associated with the public system continues to slowly decline: these latest new cases represent a slight decrease compared to this period last week, when 150 new infections were reported by Ontario’s publicly funded school councils.

The number of active infections associated with schools has been declining for several weeks and now stands at 965: it is down almost 19% compared to this period last week, when it stood at 1,187.

Schools in Greater Toronto and the Hamilton area account for about half – 475 – of all active cases.

But the positive news is that for the first time a school board of the GTHA – the Durham District School Board – has not reported any active cases of the virus.

Meanwhile, Ontario is seeing a reduction in the number of schools with at least one active case. To date there are a total of 503 schools that have reported at least one contagion in the last 14 days and this is the lowest number since September 20.

Four of the schools with active cases have been ordered to close due to Covid outbreaks, including one in a city north of London where as many as 16 infections among students and staff have been reported.

There are currently no closed school buildings in Toronto, although public health officials have declared outbreaks in 16 different schools while investigations are underway at 69 other schools in the city.

It should be noted that since the beginning of the school year, 4,769 infections related to face-to-face classes have been confirmed throughout Ontario: this number is more than double that of the cases that had been reported in schools at this point last year. It should be noted, however, that the current situation and that of last year are very different: then – it was November – the second wave had just begun but with the passing of the days it led to a rapid increase in infections that after the Christmas holidays caused the closure of schools for several weeks.

In Ontario, schools currently account for 31% of all active cases. The number rises to 35% if we also add the 134 active cases related to daycares.