“It’s a risk I won’t take,” Ford said about the decision. Numerous health officials have said schools should be the last to close and the first to open. On Monday, the province reported 4,401 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest single-day increase to date. The announcement will be made during the premier's daily news conference held at Queen’s Park. Photo by Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content The Latest & Hot News in real time. Updated at 2:30 p.m. Ontario is postponing March Break for school kids until April 12. Students in the hot spot regions of Peel, Toronto and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, were already moved to virtual learning the week before the break. The province reported 217 new COVID-19 in schools today, including 186 in students. Try refreshing your browser. The changes will exempt certain authorized recreational providers from their three-hour operating limit, improving access to select before and after school programs for families with school-age children. "Yeah, if they think it's safe for them to go back, it's good. Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce are set to make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon. Stephen Lecce says the government will let families know "well in advance" if that changes following any recommendation from the province's top doctor. See also: An announcement is set for later this week when Education Minister Stephen Lecce will announce the details. "School will not be going back on May the 4th and [Minister of Education Stephen Lecce] will be talking further on this in the next couple of days," said Ford during a press conference at the time. When asked about the letter on Monday, Lecce referred to it having been more about the “plan in place.”, Please read and share my letter to parents outlining Ontario’s plan to keep students and staff safe. It is a proactive and sadly necessary precaution as we tackle the third wave of COVID-19,” Lecce said on Monday. — Matthew Bingley (@mattybing) April 12, 2021, Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing stories, delivered to your inbox, Ontario students move to virtual learning indefinitely amid record-high COVID-19 cases. COVID-19: Ontario schools moving to online learning after April break, Ontario hasn’t ‘hit the peak’ in 3rd wave of coronavirus pandemic, Ford says, Another week needed to see impact of Easter weekend, says Ontario’s top doctor, Click to share quote on Twitter: "The in-fighting between Doug Ford and his education minister is putting our children and education workers at risk, and Lecce should be fired for it. Vote Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to make an announcement today about the fate of the rest of the school year. Lecce also announced Monday that the province will now allow university students in teacher education programs to fill in at Ontario schools that … “Today’s (Monday’s) announcement is about prevention. “The in-fighting between Doug Ford and his education minister is putting our children and education workers at risk, and Lecce should be fired for it.”, #NEW: @OntLiberal calls for Education Minister Stephen Lecce to be fired #Onpoli #onted pic.twitter.com/6oCx3tATbi, — Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) April 12, 2021. Teacher hiring will now be based on merit, diversity and the unique needs of communities in our province over … In a news conference at Queen’s Park, Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s minister of education, announces additional safety measures as schools reopen in four more regions. These include the removal of duplicate requirements related to the collection of children's emergency contact information, allowing records and documents required by the regulation to be kept in digital format, and no longer requiring licensees to seek ministry approval for children 44 months and up to bring their own meals from home. The changes should create up to 5,000 before and after school spaces, said Donna Skelly, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, who joined Lecce at the Friday announcement. Students will be staying in remote learning indefinitely following the April Break as the province continues to see record breaking COVID-19 case and ICU numbers, the Ontario government says. Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to make an announcement Wednesday on when students in large centres can return to in-class learning. Read more: Get a Free Community Hub Program with any annual display package. “Now more than ever, access to affordable and accessible child care will be critical to driving Ontario’s economic recovery,” Lecce said. NDP education critic Marit Stiles said Lecce’s comments teasing an announcement on March Break’s potential cancellation are unfair to parents and educators who need time to prepare. pic.twitter.com/hd0u9V1ZrH, — Stephen Lecce (@Sflecce) April 11, 2021. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to join Premier Doug Ford for a COVID-19-related announcement this afternoon. “This was not a decision we made lightly, as we know how critical schools are to Ontario students. WATCH ABOVE: As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the province, the Ontario government announced Elementary and Secondary schools will move to virtual learning after April break. Earlier on Monday, Lecce announced the province will offer asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 in schools across the province. Schools in Toronto, Guelph move to online learning. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has announced regulatory amendments for the child-care sector that he says will improve access to before and after school care. Peel Region moved its students online the Tuesday after Easter Monday, while Toronto and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph followed suit on Wednesday. Ontario’s Minister of Education will make an announcement Monday morning. Ford government to delay March break Back to video. On June 3, Lecce said that the plan is for schools to reopen come the fall with a more detailed plan to be provided towards the end of the month. “During the provincial emergency brake and the provincial stay-at-home order, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools will remain open for in-person learning with strict health and safety measures in place, except in those regions where local public health units have directed schools in their areas to pivot to remote learning,” Lecce wrote in the letter. Premier Doug Ford issued a four-week stay-at-home order and declared a third state of emergency provincewide, which came into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Read more: Dr. de Villa says there are other communities with similar community transmission levels seen in Toronto. Stephen Lecce will make an announcement at 2 p.m. with the health minister and the province's top doctor. Ford and Lecce to make announcement with top health officials today. Please read our Commenting Policy first. “By the end of June we want to give some certainty to everyone that we have plan that will keep your child safe but allow them to return to school in the fall,” Lecce said at the time. “As soon as we get the go-ahead from Dr. Williams and his colleagues, we’ll make sure parents know with advance notice that they can plan for their kids to return to school,” Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said. Lecce released a statement today on Twitter, saying the decision was arrived at after consultation with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, as well as the Public Health Measures Table. It is a proactive and sadly necessary precaution as we tackle the third wave of COVID-19,” Lecce said on Monday. The announcement to keep schools closed comes just a day after Lecce issued a letter to parents insisting that schools would remain open while the province is under a stay-at-home order. ... Stephen Lecce’s announcement today was to confirm that he is still ripping $1b out of the public ed budget next year to fund a voucher payment to parents will pull $11,000 out of the average classroom next year. Other regulatory amendments affecting the child-care sector announced Friday include: The province says these changes are based on feedback from families and the early years and child care sector, as outlined in the Strengthening Early Years and Child Care in Ontario report, and the long-standing advocacy of community based non-profit organizations delivering before and after school programs. “Today’s (Monday’s) announcement is about prevention.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

"We are seeing a rapidly deteriorating situation with a record number of COVID cases and hospital admissions threatening to overwhelm our health care system," said Premier Ford. The government said the decision to reopen for in-person learning will be based on public health data. Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement on Feb. 11. Reducing regulatory/administrative burden on child care operators by removing redundant and unnecessary requirements for all providers. Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce makes an announcement at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ont. Results > Archives >, Sign in or register for your free account, Watch the livestream feed of the press conference here, Camping, like most things, is a little more complicated this year, Ontario reports 4,362 new COVID cases Saturday, Large Residential Building Lot in The Blue Mountains, Beautiful 2 Bedroom/2 Bath Condo at Cranberry (Living Stone Golf Resort)), Incontinence Program, 10% OFF & FREE DELIVERY @ Stuart Ellis Pharmacy. Enhancing health and safety protections in licenced child care settings, such as requirements to support contact tracing by local public health, new requirements for home-based child care and updates to the safe storage of potentially poisonous and hazardous items. We're sorry but Ontario Newsroom doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Ontario reports 4,401 COVID-19 cases, another record of ICU patients. “No one wants their kids in school more than I do but with COVID spreading like wildfire … we simply can’t be too cautious right now.”Lecce repeatedly reassured parents and Ontarians that the government was focused on keeping schools open, as recent as a letter sent to parents Sunday. Doug Ford / CPAC. Many Windsor-Essex parents are eager to learn whether their children can return to schools for the first time since December. “The announcement today by Minister of Education Stephen Lecce is an insult to students, families, teachers, education workers and all Ontarians,” president Liz Stuart said in a statement. Childcare for non-school aged children will remain open, however, before and after school programs will be closed. ", ‘It came from your country’: Racist outburst caught on camera at Coquitlam, B.C., park, COVID-19: Kingston Police joins other Ont. At a news conference following Lecce's announcement, Toronto Mayor John Tory said he was in "full support" of the province's approach, including its timing on reopening the city's schools. Horrible, inexcusable, inequitable policy. There are currently 1,646 people hospitalized, with 619 patients in intensive care units — an all-time high, and 408 patients in the ICU on a ventilator. Making the announcement today Lecce said it was important for students to see themselves reflected in their schools, citing the example of a young black student Lecce spoke to who said that in his entire elementary and high school career he had only seen one black teacher. The changes will exempt certain authorized recreational providers from their three-hour operating limit, improving access to select before and after school programs for families with school-age children. Erica Vella reports. 2,629 cases have been recorded in the last 14 days. Stephen Lecce said Ontario’s chief medical officer of health will provide final school-reopening advice later this week, after which the province will make an announcement. Clarrie Feinstein | Aug 26 2020, 6:12 am. Stephen Lecce will be joined by the Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams for the announcement. Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health and Education Minister Stephen Lecce make an announcement at Queen's Park in Toronto, on Aug, 13, 2020. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement alongside Lecce, Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health at Queen’s Park Monday afternoon. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the delayed March break is still scheduled to happen on April 12 despite the fact that COVID-19 cases are … Alludes to waiting for a decision coming from the province for a decision on extending school closures. © 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Ontario schools move to online learning indefinitely following April break. The Ontario government has said repeatedly they want to keep schools open amid the third wave to help with students’ mental health. police forces, will not conduct random stops, Prince Philip’s funeral planned with Royal family tension in mind, Ontario extends COVID-19 stay-at-home order, announces tighter restrictions, Ontario’s new COVID-19 restrictions include increased police powers, Workers fired after video shows party at Milton construction site, Ontario to set up border checkpoints, beef up police powers, Pentagon confirms leaked footage of ‘pyramid-shaped’ UFOs is real, Schools in Toronto, Guelph move to online learning, four-week stay-at-home order and declared a third state of emergency, Ontario reports 4,401 COVID-19 cases, another record of ICU patients. “They’re just stringing everyone along, trying to build up some anticipation, but the problem is that it leaves people frustrated, scared,” she said. Ontario’s Minister of Education Stephen Lecce will make an announcement Thursday afternoon. "I feel like there was a lot of time, and usually what's been happening with this ministry is the announcements are just kind of coming in last minute … and it's just not enough lead time." “One day later, Doug Ford is closing them for weeks. Health Mar 30 We want all students in all regions back to class. Want to discuss? Please enable it to continue. The Ontario government is going to move “aggressively” and scrap a controversial hiring rule that gives preference to supply teachers with the most seniority, the Star has learned. In a Monday morning press conference, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced expanded targeted asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in … Ontario students were supposed to return to in-person learning after taking the week off for their delayed March Break. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Lecce is expected to announce a decision on whether or … In response to the announcement, Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca called for the firing of Lecce. Lecce said free emergency child care for the school-aged children of eligible health care and frontline workers will be provided. He said last week that the province is considering cancelling March break in … “Just yesterday, Minister Lecce wrote to parents telling them that all publicly funded schools would remain open after the April Break,” Del Duca said in a press release. Our priority has always been to keep schools open, however sharply rising community transmission can put our schools and Ontario families at risk.”. “And these changes that are announced today support that goal and demonstrate the ability to the province that we will provide choice, flexibility, affordability and access for families across Ontario.”. Minister of Health Christine Elliott will also be in attendance. 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