12 COVID-19 cases confirmed at Scarborough school, staff forced back to work

With 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Glamorgan Junior Public School, a number of teachers and staff refused to enter the building Tuesday, for a second day in a row.

Three students and nine staff members have tested positive at the school. The TDSB says that 11 of the cases were isolated and confined to one wing of the school.

Staff members were seen outside the school refusing to work on Monday as well, saying the school should not be open amidst the outbreak. They asked principal Teri Molnar and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to temporarily close the school or enforce additional safety measures, but the school remained open throughout the day.

According to TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird, around 60 students went to school on Tuesday and classes were still in session, even though members of staff did not enter the building at the start of the day. He says that staff from other schools were brought in to help supervise students in the meantime.

“The important thing for parents to know is students are continuing to be supervised at school and everyone is safe,” he said.

Glamorgan staff were forced back to work by the Ministry of Labour later in the day.

According to Bird the school has been declared safe by Toronto Public Health and health officials said there is no reason for the school to be closed.

He says the TDSB’s focus right now is making sure staff follow the guidelines and they have everything they need.

“If for any reason we thought it was unsafe to be in that building it would be closed as we speak,” said Bird.

Bird said that whether the staff refusing to work will get paid or not is being looked at.

“There is a very specific process that needs to be followed as part of a work refusal and we work through that process with the Ministry of Labour,” he said.