These are the schools in Toronto at highest risk for COVID-19 infection
As students head back to school in September, there's a lot of anxiety surrounding safety thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto Public Health recently put together some data showing which schools in the city are most at risk for COVID-19 infection and the list is pretty long.
According to officials, 80 public elementary schools and 36 Catholic elementary schools are in the top 20 per cent of local schools where potential virus transmission is highest. The bulk of these schools are in the city's northwest corner.
Both Toronto school boards have announced their back-to-school reopening plans. A Toronto District School Board spokesperson told CBC that they are spending over $30 million on reducing class sizes with a focus on these high-risk areas.
"There, we are capping kindergarten classes at 15 students, while Grade 1 to 8 classes will be capped at 20. Recently, the federal government announced significant new funding and staff are currently assessing how our plans can be further enhanced," he said.
Shazia Vlahos, chief of communications and government relations for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, similarly told CBC of the safety precautions they are taking.
"Three-sided Plexiglas desk shields for students and teachers in classes of over 15 students will be considered with a focused prioritization of installation in schools in high incidence areas of highest [need]."
The federal government recently announced a $2 billion fund that will help provinces reopen schools safely. Ontario is set to receive approximately $763 million of that money.
Here is the full list of schools most at risk:
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