Woodbridge elementary school closed by COVID-19 outbreak; Scarborough school outbreak spurs 58 students to self-isolate

A York Region public school has been closed because of COVID-19, while an outbreak was declared at a Toronto elementary school but remains open.

Elder’s Mills Public School, a French-immersion elementary school in Woodbridge, has closed its doors — the first such closure in the province in a week — after seven cases were confirmed. The school aims to reopen on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“Learning will continue virtually; teachers will contact students,” reads an update posted Friday afternoon on the school’s , which states present enrolment is 532 students, with 41 staff members and 24 homeroom classes.

Meanwhile, a outbreak was declared at a Scarborough elementary school Friday afternoon after nine staff members and two students tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Toronto Public Health, 58 students at Glamorgan Junior Public School,

The cases are believed to be linked to a single wing of the building. The school remains open, as the remainder of the building does not pose a threat.

This comes after 10 classes at a Catholic elementary school in North York were asked to self-isolate after three staff members and one student were infected with COVID-19. St. André has the highest number of active cases with four in the Toronto Catholic District School Board, but is still open.

TCDSB Ward 3 Trustee Ida Li Preti said the school, near , has followed all the precautions recommended by Health Canada.

“Outbreaks have been relatively small. We are taking extreme measures to keep students safe,” she said Friday. “I’m trying to build confidence in the parent community. Student and staff well-being is our primary concern.

“It has been so rigid, but the rigidity is working. The transmission is very low.”

On Friday morning, the latest provincial numbers showed 61 additional cases had been reported in Ontario schools Friday. In Ontario, 2,159 school-related cases of COVID-19 have been reported since the start of the academic year.

With files from Rhythm Sachdeva

Ann Marie Elpa is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: ,