Toronto Public Health shutters another elementary school due to COVID-19

Toronto Public Health (TPH) has ordered the closure of another elementary school due to an ongoing COVID-19 investigation.

Effective Monday, Wilkinson Junior Public School — located in the Donlands and Danforth area — will be closed to in-person learning. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) confirms the shutdown comes on the recommendation from TPH, which is currently reviewing an outbreak at the institution.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the TDSB says so far, four cases (three involving students and one positive staff case) have been linked to Wilkinson Junior Public School.

TPH says that based on its data, all students should transition to online learning, though it doesn’t specify how long.

“We are recommending a whole school dismissal as a precautionary measure to protect staff, students and the community from further COVID-19 dismissal within the school,” Toronto’s public health unit said.

“TPH will continue to work w/ our school community & have notified close contacts & ask them to stay home, monitor for symptoms & get tested. We’ll work closely with our school partners to determine when in-person learning will resume.”

Toronto recorded a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases with 152 on Sunday — the fourth straight day with over 100 daily infections.

The province reported 176 new COVID-19 cases in its schools with 152 confirmed as student-related. There are now nine schools closed as a result of the virus.