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Two more positive cases of COVID-19 at GTA schools as classes resume for more students

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There have been two more positive cases of COVID-19 reported at GTA schools with the latest cases coinciding with the resumption of in-person classes in several boards.

The Halton District School Board says that there have been positive cases reported at Brant Hills Public School in Burlington and Garth Webb Secondary School in Oakville.

The board did not say whether the two new cases are in students or staff at the impacted schools.

The confirmation of the positive cases comes on the same day that classes are scheduled to resume in the HDSB, as well as several other boards in the GTA.

The first day of school in the TDSB, however, has been pushed back a little later. Some elementary students will begin returning to the classroom on Tuesday as part of a staggered return. Secondary students won’t begin returning until Thursday.

The province has indicated that there have been a total of 13 positive cases in public schools so far, though it hasn’t updated its database since Friday.

Six of those cases are in Ottawa, where classes resumed last week.

There have also been five additional cases combined in the Halton and Peel school boards, though those numbers will increase once the province updates its database.

Premier Doug Ford has previously expressed confidence in the resumption of in-person instruction at Ontario schools but has also indicated that he will “not hesitate for a second to close schools down” should there be significant outbreaks.

“"In the blink of an eye, they’re down, they’re done. Bang. Closed,” he said last month.

Today is the first day of school for secondary students in the Peel District School Board and a portion of all students in the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Halton District School Board. A number of other boards will also welcome additional students back today as part of a staggered resumption of classes. For a full list of when classes room in each GTA board follow this link.