Following the first school-related confirmed case in Muskoka – the province is looking to put parents at ease.
Speaking to media in Huntsville on Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford spoke on the possibility of capping class sizes, explaining that it’s up to each individual school board to decide whether they want to put a limit on the number of students per class.
“We’re going to do whatever we can to make sure we continue to give resources to these school boards to reduce class sizes if they wish to do that and if they feel there’s a spike,” Ford said. “They are free to do that and we are here to support them.”
The Trillium Lakeland District School Board reported Wednesday that an individual at Spruce Glen Public School had tested positive for COVID-19 – and while the board could not confirm whether the individual was a student or staff – they did say they were working with the local health unit.
Ford says since they’ve begun their back-to-school planning, local school boards have been given the resources to cap class sizes and they are free to do so if they choose.
“We have the smallest class sizes in the entire country bar none,” Ford said. “We have up to 625 nurses spread out across the province and we’ve given $170 million to hire more teaches if school boards want to reduce the class sizes.”
The case at Spruce Glen is the second school-related COVID-19 in Simcoe-Muskoka, following a confirmed case out of Orillia last week.
Ford says so long as schools and school boards were adhering to the recommendations of public health – the wellbeing of students and staff is in good hands.
“The larger the community spread, the more of a chance it’s going to get into schools and possible long term care,” he said. “So, that’s why I’m always up here preaching to ensure you keep your social distance, wear a mask and just practice the protocols.”
To view the case count at public schools across Muskoka, you can head here.