Ontario has released its back-to-school plan for the fall, with students returning to the classroom full-time in September but remote learning is still an option.
Staff and students will be required to wear masks indoors, with the exception of meal breaks and low-contact physical activities. They will also have to complete a self-screening before entering the school.
Some other key notes from the 29 page document include:
- Anyone experiencing symptoms per the provincial screening tool should not attend school and potentially get tested or seek medical attention.
- School boards are expected to have all ventilation systems inspected and in good condition before the start of school year.
- School boards without mechanical ventilation (those that rely on windows to bring in fresh air) are expected to place standalone high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units in all classrooms.
More than 4,800 Ontario schools closed during the past school year due to COVID-19, and 11,462 students contracted the virus.
High school students will have time tables with no more than two courses at a time during the fall semester, “in order to preserve the option of reverting to more restrictive measures, if needed” the plan says.
