Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing program underway at Toronto schools

Thousands of Toronto District School Board students are waiting on the results of COVID-19 swabs after being tested as part of the program that uncovered outbreaks at two East York schools.

Four schools within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) are now undergoing asymptomatic testing, and more schools could be joining the program within days.

Two of the schools where the program is underway are in the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood which has been recognized as a COVID-19 hotspot. Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute and Valley Park Middle School are located at Don Mills Road and Overlea.

The first batch of around 200 tests from students at Valley Park all reportedly came back negative.

Asymptomatic testing was previously done at Thorncliffe Park Public School where it turned up 26 cases of the virus. The school has since been closed as a result.

An early learning school in Thorncliffe Park has also closed its doors. Fraser Mustard Early Learning Centre has been shut down as a precaution due to its proximity to the outbreak at the public school next door.

The voluntary testing of students is also ongoing at Lester B Pearson Collegiate Institute in Scarborough as well as Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute in the Lawrence Avenue and Avenue Road area. Students at both schools were able to go to Sunnybrook hospital for testing on Monday and expect to get their results a day later.

This is all part of a campaign of testing to try to catch outbreaks among students in school populations before they spread too far. It would determine cases where students have been screened for symptoms heading into school, but are the students are either experiencing mild symptoms or are asymptomatic.

Stricter guidelines for COVID-19 screening among young students in Toronto and Peel Region went into effect on Monday. Any student who exhibits one symptom of the virus is being asked to stay home and isolate.