The number of new cases in public schools across the province has jumped by 121 from the previous day, to a total of 793 in the last two weeks.
, the province reported 75 more students were infected for a total of 461 in the last two weeks; since school began there have been overall total of 810.
The data shows there are 22 more staff members for a total of 117 in the last two weeks — and an overall total of 223.
The latest report also shows 24 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 215 in that category — and an overall total of 396.
There are 508 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is about 10.5 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.
Four schools are currently closed, according to the Ministry of Health figures: two in York Region and two in Ottawa.
Holy Name Catholic Elementary School in King City and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary School in Woodbridge until Oct. 26.
In Ottawa, École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, a French Catholic high school, closed after 15 people tested positive while St. Jerome elementary school closed after two staff tested positive.
There is a lag between the daily provincial data at 10:30 a.m. and news reports about infections in schools. The provincial data on Tuesday is current as of 2 p.m. Monday so it includes the weekend reports. It also doesn’t indicate where the place of transmission occurred.
The Toronto District School Board updates its information on current COVID-19 cases throughout the day . As of 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, there were 121 TDSB schools with at least one active case — 151 students and 46 staff.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board also updates its information . As of Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., there were 45 schools with a COVID-19 case, with 44 students and 10 staff infected.
Epidemiologists have that the rising numbers in the schools aren’t a surprise, and that the cases will be proportionate to the amount of COVID that is in the community.
Ontario reported 821 new cases overall on Tuesday — 327 in Toronto, 136 in Peel, 64 in York Region and 79 in Ottawa.
Irelyne Lavery is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email:
