Ontario launches public website tracking number of COVID-19 cases in schools

Ontario Premier Doug Ford takes a tour of Kensington Community School to see the measures implemented as students return to school amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

TORONTO — Parents can now access data on COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario schools and child-care centres through a website launched by the provincial government on Friday.

The province said the website will be updated every weekday and include a summary of cases, as well as more detailed information on where the numbers come from.

As of Friday morning, the website showed 13 cases at schools in Ontario, including four students and nine staff members. All four student cases are at French Catholic schools in Ottawa.

Premier Doug Ford promised earlier this week that his government would report all outbreaks of the novel coronavirus in Ontario schools.

"I think it's so important we report every single case, as we did with long-term care. We'll do the same in school," Ford said at a news conference Wednesday.

The move came after opposition New Democrats called on the Progressive Conservative government to share details of school outbreaks across the province rather than leaving disclosures to individual schools or boards.

Under provincial guidelines, schools are required to report COVID-19 cases to parents online or with a letter home.

One of the schools where the virus has already surfaced is an elementary school in Oakville, Ont.

The school's principal, Gail McDonald, said in a letter to parents that a staff member at Oodenawi Public School tested positive for COVID-19 just days before students returned to class.

The school was informed of the positive test on Monday, she added.

McDonald said the person was present during staff PA Days at the school last week and that no students were exposed to the virus.

Staff who had close contact with the individual have been ordered by public health officials to self-isolate for 14 days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2020.