Important Information Regarding State of Emergency

Jan. 12, 2021

Today the Ontario Government announced a State of Emergency and issued new lockdown restrictions. Below, you will see a summary of some of the new measures that impact schools and childcare settings.

Please note, schools in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board are scheduled to return to in-person learning on Jan. 25, 2021, however, the Premier indicated there will be further announcements about that return date made on Wednesday next week (Jan. 20, 2021). We will provide you with an update when it is available. 

Schools 

Based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, schools in the following public health units (PHUs) will not return to in-person instruction until Feb. 10, 2021:

• Windsor-Essex
• Peel Region
• Toronto
• York
• Hamilton

By Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will advise the Ministry of Education on which public health units (PHUs), including those of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Cathoilic District School Board, will be permitted to resume in-person instruction, based on the most up-to-date data and modelling. Before- and after-school programs can be offered when in-person instruction resumes. Schools in northern PHUs will continue to remain open.

We will continue to keep families updated with respect to the return to in-person learning. 

To continue to keep students, staff and communities safe, the following new health and safety measures will be put in place for in-person learning:

• Masking for Grade 1-3 and requirements for mask wearing outdoors;
• Enhanced screening protocols; and
• Expanded targeted testing

We will provide more information on these new health and safety measures as details become available. 

Child Care Centres

Child care centres for non-school aged children will remain open, and emergency child care will continue for eligible families in regions subject to school closures, as identified by the Chief Medical Officer of Health.