Ontario reports 18 additional COVID-19 cases in publicly funded schools for a total of 90

Ontario is reporting 18 additional active COVID-19 cases among students and staff in publicly funded schools across the province over the weekend for a total of 90.

The latest report Monday morning reveals that there are 75 schools affected across the province, with 45 of them in the GTA. The report does note that 75 schools is 1.55 per cent of the 4,828 publicly funded schools in Ontario.

Of the 90 cases overall in the province, 33 are students, 26 are staff and 31 were individuals weren’t identified.

Nineteen schools in Ottawa have an active case.

The province’s latest numbers don’t include two Toronto students who have tested positive, which was reported Sunday by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

The students attend St. Gerald Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School.

According to the province’s Monday morning update, only one school is currently closed because of an infection.

Epidemiologists told the Star last week that the numbers in the schools aren’t a surprise, and that the cases will be proportionate to the amount of COVID that’s in the community.

The province reported 425 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario overall Monday. Toronto accounts for 175 new cases, 84 for Peel and 60 in Ottawa.

A closer look at the numbers provided Monday morning by the province shows the following 45 GTA schools (an increase of eight from Friday) have confirmed infections:

Toronto (10 schools)

Peel (21 schools)

Halton (Four schools)

Durham (Four schools)

York (Six schools)