Toronto Public Health issues Section 22 Order to education providers limiting in-person attendances of school-aged children

Today, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa is issuing a Section 22 Order, under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, as an additional measure to reduce community transmission.

The Order defines how and when school-aged children can attend school premises or other educational settings. The Order applies to all persons and businesses providing education to school-aged children, regardless of whether or not they qualify as a school within the meaning of the Education Act.

The Order will be effective Monday, May 10 at 12:01 a.m.

The intention of the Section 22 Order is to enhance the provincial Lockdown Regulation by:

1. limiting in-person attendance of school-aged children across all educational settings, not just schools within the meaning of the Education Act; and
2. limiting in-person student attendance as much as possible, regardless of whether they qualify as “in-person teaching or instruction”.

Under the current Shutdown Zone provisions of Ontario Regulation 82/20, as amended (the “Lockdown Regulation”) under the Reopening Ontario Act, schools and private schools within the meaning of the Education Act are not permitted to provide in-person teaching or instruction, subject to limited exceptions.

COVID-19 and its more transmissible variants of concern continue to circulate in the community. Consistent with the provincial Stay-at-Home order, Toronto Public Health (TPH) is urging residents to limit their interaction to members of the same household only. If you must leave your house for essential reasons, please practice steps for self-protection, including maintaining distance from others, wearing a mask, frequent hand washing and staying at home if feeling ill. TPH also strongly encourages all residents to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.