[GTranslate]TORONTO – The list of schools closed in Ontario for the Coronavirus emergency is growing. The latest in the series is St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, where eight students and three staff have been infected since the outbreak on February 27. Since yesterday, the school at 53 Gracefield Avenue in North York has been closed. “As you know, as far as Covid-19 is concerned, we follow the recommendations of Toronto Public Health – said the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) at CP24 – the school will be temporarily closed starting today. We believe that the tests are being finalized, and as soon as they are available, the details will be shared.”

Toronto Public Health tweeted that it strongly recommended that classes be suspended due to “an ongoing investigation.” The Toronto Catholic District School Board also stated that it was “not aware among the confirmed cases of variants that may be a cause for concern” and that the closure of the school is “a precautionary measure”.

And while St. Francis Xavier is adding to the list of closed schools in Ontario to 34, there were 263 school-related cases reported yesterday that bring the total to 9,501. This is the number of infections that have been detected in Ontario schools since the beginning of the school year. A total of 780 schools reported at least one case of the virus: 192 in Toronto which is followed by Ottawa with 67 schools and Brampton with 52 schools where infections are present.

Now, however, compared to previous months, it is the variants of Covid – English, Brazilian and South African in the first place – that are reported with increasing frequency. And precisely in an attempt to control the spread of this terrible virus, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced last month the postponement of the March Break to April 12. The fear was that although governments and health officials continue to advise against travel, families would decide to take a few days off. “At the end of the day, we should not travel, we are encouraging people to stay in this province and in their communities – said Lecce – we know of the existence of these new variants and we do not want to bring any more to our province”.

Meanwhile, some providers, such as the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), began planning a full return to classroom learning this September.

Public school board spokesman Ryan Bird, interviewed by Daily Hive a few days ago, said the Department of Education asked prosecutors to “not plan any Covid-related funding.” “At this point, all that remains is to plan in-presence learning for all students at the start of the new school year.”