Marit Stiles MPP for Davenport

Government of Ontario

Calling for transparency on school COVID-19 cases and outbreaks

Published on September 8, 2020

QUEEN’S PARK — The Official Opposition is asking the Ford government to commit to posting a list online of all schools with COVID-19 cases, while maintaining the privacy of students and staff.

“Of course we all hope that COVID-19 doesn’t make its way into schools, but we believe parents, students and staff including supply teachers should be informed if it does,” said NDP Education critic Marit Stiles. “With so much pressure being put on staff, students and their families to monitor symptoms and follow protocols, they deserve information and transparency.

“The Ford government tried to downplay and hide the growing tragedy in long-term care homes as the virus swept in. We can’t let them make the same mistake with our children.”

The NDP successfully called for a list of long-term care homes with COVID-19 cases and outbreaks to be posted online. In the province of Quebec, where students returned to school last week, parents and educators also called for the list of COVID-19 cases appearing in school to be posted online, and that government agreed to do so late Friday afternoon.