In-person learning resumes for students in KFL&A next week
The Ontario government says that students in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) region will be among about 100,000 students province-wide who will be permitted to return to in-person schooling next week.
Ontario’s Minister of Education Stephen Lecce made the announcement on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, stating that students in the region served by the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit would be among those permitted to go back to school on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.
The announcement indicated that the decision was based on the most recent data coming out of those regions, as well as the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. “On the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government is allowing seven public health units and over 100,000 students to return to class on Monday,” the release said.
“Getting students back into class is our top priority,” the release continued. “According to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and leading medical and scientific experts, including the Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario schools are safe places for learning.
“To ensure schools remain safe, the government is introducing additional measures including province-wide targeted asymptomatic testing, enhanced screening, mandatory masking for students in grade 1-3 and outdoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”
Those students who had previously enrolled in remote learning will see no change from their regular programming.
Other public health units where all schools will be able to reopen are as follows:
Grey Bruce Health Unit
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
Peterborough Public Health Renfrew County and District Health Unit
Renfrew County and District Health Unit
The Ontario government says that some additional school boards across multiple public health units not included in the list above would have some schools resuming in-person learning, while others in those regions would continue remote learning.