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

There have been four 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 province has also updated its database to reflect one new cases involving a student at John Fraser Secondary School in Mississauga.

Also on Monday afternoon, the principal of Maple Ridge P.S. in Pickering told parents that someone who was last in the school on Sept. 9 tested positive for COVID-19.

"The individual is asymptomatic, wore a mask while in the building and physically distanced from others while at school," the principal told parents on Monday.

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 15 positive cases in public schools so far, though its database does not yet include the new cases from the Halton board or Maple Ridge P.S. in Pickering.

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

There have also been six 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.