Delaying the start to in-person learning in 2022.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced Thursday that the start of the 2022 calendar will be on Wednesday, January 5th.
Moore said the province put the two day delay in to allow time to deploy additional safety measures, including non-fit-tested N95 masks for staff in schools and licensed child care settings in addition to a supply of high-quality three-ply cloth masks.
School boards will also get an additional 3,000 standalone HEPA filter units.
Only low-contact indoor sports and safe extra-curricular activities will be permitted when schools return.
Capacity Limits
The province is also further restricting capacity limits to indoor areas of the following setting as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, December 31st:
- Spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (e.g., sporting events)
- Concert venues
- Theatres
Testing, Isolation Requirements
Ontario will also only provide publicly-funded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for high-risk individuals who are symptomatic and/or are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including for the purposes of confirming a COVID-19 diagnosis to begin treatment, and workers and residents in the highest risk settings, as well as vulnerable populations.
Those who have a positive result from a rapid antigen test will no longer be required or encouraged to get a confirmatory PCR or rapid molecular test.
Individuals with COVID-19 who are vaccinated, as well as children under 12, will be required to isolate for five days following the onset of symptoms. Their household contacts are also required to isolate with them. These individuals can end isolation after five days if their symptoms are improved for at least 24 hours and all public health and safety measures, such as masking and physical distancing, are followed. Non-household contacts are required to self-monitor for ten days.
Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or immunocompromised will be required to isolate for 10 days.
