Students, teachers head back to classrooms after snowstorm delays return

Students and teachers from parts of Southern Ontario were back to classrooms Wednesday after a massive snowstorm delayed their return to school.

Many school boards announced transportation cancellations and delays Wednesday morning but schools are open for those who can make it in.

Niagara’s public and Catholic schools are open but buses are cancelled because many stops are still not cleared after Monday’s snowstorm.

Both public and Catholic schools are open in Halton Region but the school board is urging parents and caregivers to check for bus delays and possible route cancellations.

Hamilton-Wentworth public and Catholic schools are open and transportation is running but with some delays.

Ontario students have been remote learning since Jan. 5 after the province experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases, straining the healthcare system and labour force.

Some students in northern and southwest Ontario returned to class earlier this week.

In a letter to parents and guardians, the province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, and education minister, Stephen Lecce, said millions of rapid tests have been sent to publicly funded schools and will be distributed to students in the coming weeks.

“We are taking nothing for granted. Health and safety in our schools and child care settings remains a top priority and we continue to monitor to ensure that every precaution is taken to protect children, students and staff and to keep our schools and child care settings as safe as they can be,” states the letter.

The province recently shifted its policies for reporting COVID-19 in schools and limited access to PCR testing to preserve resources.