{"id":72941,"date":"2021-01-07T13:17:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/?p=72941"},"modified":"2021-01-07T13:17:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:17:14","slug":"ford-promises-update-today-on-ontario-school-reopening-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/local\/gta\/ford-promises-update-today-on-ontario-school-reopening-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford promises update today on Ontario school reopening plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ontario parents are waiting to see if students will head back to class for in-person learning on Jan. 11 as is currently scheduled. (Charlie Neibergall\/Associated Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Premier Doug Ford said parents,\u00a0students and teachers can expect an update on in-person learning in Ontario’s schools Thursday afternoon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ford said provincial Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams will be “announcing his decision today,” which the premier says he will support. Williams is set to hold a press conference at 3 p.m. ET, which CBC News will carry live.<\/p>\n

As it stands, students are\u00a0set to head back to class\u00a0amid record-high COVID-19 numbers. Ford said Thursday that one in five kids under the age of 13 in Ontario who are being tested are now\u00a0positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n

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“That’s not mentioning all the other kids that haven’t been tested that might have a runny nose or a cough,” Ford said.<\/p>\n

“The number one priority is not to put our kids in jeopardy, and I will never do that. Especially at the rates we’re seeing.”<\/p>\n

The premier also said that before the holidays, Ontario was seeing positivity rates of around three per cent.<\/p>\n

“Now, the information I received as of late yesterday afternoon, that has jumped [by] 116 per cent,” he said. Data shared by the province Thursday shows that from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2, the positivity rate increase in the age 4 to 11 age bracket was 116.7 per cent.<\/p>\n

That was the largest jump of any age bracket, followed by age 12 to 13 at a 97.9 per cent increase and age 14 to 17 with a 75.9 per cent increase.<\/p>\n

Ontario’s current test positivity rate is\u00a06.1 per cent.<\/p>\n

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The province’s previously announced\u00a0plan was\u00a0this:<\/p>\n