Public health officials have ordered all schools in the Windsor-Essex region to close due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases in the area.
Students will transition to online learning starting on Monday, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit announced Thursday.
Schools will be closed to in-class learning until next Friday, after which the winter break begins, it said.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed, the region's top doctor, said the school closure may be extended depending on COVID-19 rates in the region.
"This action is being taken in an effort to keep our community safe and prevent further spread of COVID-19," he said in a statement.
"The WECHU is working with all school boards in Windsor and Essex County to ensure that continuity of learning remains a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Schools will remain open to teachers and staff, as well as full-time daycares, Ahmed said.
The Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board said its teachers and staff will continue to report to schools and teach remotely from there.
"Although we cannot guarantee additional devices for every student, our IT department will do its absolute best to try to accommodate all requests," the board said.
The Greater Essex County District School Board said secondary students will shift to150-minute blocks of online learning with an hour break, while elementary students will follow their current schedules.
"The health unit has been clear that this action is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases occurring in the community," it said in a statement.
Windsor-Essex County reported 104 new cases on Thursday, with one new death.
The region currently has two active school outbreaks – at General Brock Public School and Corpus Christi Catholic Middle School.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2020.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Denise Paglinawan, The Canadian Press
