Ontario will delay the return to school by two days, responding to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.
Classes are now set to resume on Wednesday, Jan. 5, chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore announced at a press conference Thursday.
Moore said the additional two days would allow schools to begin implementing new safety measures announced by the government the same day.
Those include providing non-fit-tested N95 masks for staff in schools and licensed child care centres, sending 3,000 more standalone HEPA filter units to school boards, and revising the pre-school screening questionnaire.
Students won't be provided with N95 masks, but the government said it would offer free three-ply cloth masks.
Opposition parties had called for action on ventilation, masks, and other measures in recent days, slamming the government for waiting until the last minute to announce whether the return to school would be delayed.
Liberal leader Steven Del Duca said in a statement the government's two-day delay fell far short, renewing calls to make vaccines mandatory for students and staff, and to provide rapid testing - though Moore said Thursday the province was facing shortages and would reserve tests for high-risk settings.
The Official Opposition NDP also harshly criticized the move.
"Why would schools be safe enough on Wednesday but not on Monday?" leader Andrea Horwath asked in a statement. "[Doug Ford] is leaving families scrambling to make child care plans, and with almost no new safety measures and no testing plan."
Ontario joins provinces including Quebec and B.C. in extending the winter break over sharp increases in cases.
Moore also announced sweeping changes to COVID-19 policies including stricter capacity restrictions for arenas and theatres, shorter isolation periods, limited testing eligibility, case and contact management, and eligibility for fourth doses for LTC residents and others.
