Ontario postpones March Break one month amid COVID-19

The Ontario government has announced a month-long delay in the start of March Break this year amid the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement from Queen’s Park on Thursday afternoon that, rather than running from March 15th to 19th, this year’s March Break holiday has been pushed a month later to the week of April 12th.

#BREAKING: Ontario to delay March Break until week of April 12, education minister sayshttps://t.co/rFZ3ZjFJpD

— CP24 (@CP24) February 11, 2021

The intent is for the move of March Break to help mitigate further spread of COVID-19 through schools, with the idea that social activities and gatherings over the March Break holiday may increase potential transmission like what was seen over the holiday season in December.

“It is critical we follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth-related cases over the winter break, when students and staff were out of schools for a prolonged period of time,” said Lecce in a statement.

Lecce’s decision comes through consultation from Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, and is also motivated by the concerns over the new, more contagious COVID-19 variants that have begun circulating within Ontario.

Numerous school boards across Ontario – including here in Hamilton – resumed in-person learning this past Monday despite COVID-19 stay-at-home orders being extended by the Ford government.

The return to classes in person follow an extended period following the holiday break in which all students attended classes via virtual learning.

Read more on the Ontario website.

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• coronavirus
• COVID-19
• education
• government
• Hamilton
• HamOnt
• Health
• holiday
• March Break
• Ontario
• pandemic
• Public Health
• school
• spring
• Stephen Lecce
• students