ontario Ontario considers extending winter break in schools as province sees 1,249 more COVID-19 cases 69 cases confirmed in Toronto, more than double region with second-most Ontario students could get an extended winter break or start classes remotely in the new year as the province considers ways to reduce COVID-19 transmission after the holidays. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he's talking to health officials and "looking at solutions that may include some period out of class" at the beginning of January, but has not yet made a decision. Lecce says he will announce a plan in the next week or two to allow parents to prepare. Premier Doug Ford told reporters nothing is confirmed at this time when asked how parents should prepare. Last Friday, a spokeswoman for the minister said the province was not considering any change to the school year calendar. That's after the Council of Ontario Directors of Education said it had proposed starting the new semester with virtual schooling to allow students and staff to self-isolate after any potential holiday celebrations.

toronto Data reveals 30 GTA neighbourhoods with high COVID-19 test-positivity rate The number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge in Brampton and an area in the city’s northeast corner actually tops the list of 30 GTA neighbourhoods with an alarmingly high test-positivity rate. The positivity rate in the area north of Queen Street East and east of Airport Road is 19 per cent — a rate double that of the U.S. This data was analyzed by the Toronto-based non-profit ICES who also found a neighbourhood in Toronto’s northwest, in the Jane and 401 area, which has a test positivity rate of 18.7 per cent. All 30 neighbourhoods have a test positivity rate above nine per cent –14 are in Toronto, 13 are in Peel, two are in York and one is in Halton. These numbers are for the week of Nov. 1 to 7, and are broken down by postal codes to get an even more detailed look at the most severely impacted neighbourhoods. A senior scientist at ICES told the Toronto Star these numbers are shocking, and said they wanted to highlight that certain areas have very high numbers so people who live there are aware He added some officials might look at the map and push for more targeted public health measures rather than a provincial approach.