OTTAWA -- As parents, students and teachers prepare for the new school week, Ottawa's medical officer of health is urging everyone to take steps to keep COVID-19 transmission low in the community to help protect schools.

As of Sept. 28, a total of 64 schools with Ottawa's four school boards have had at least one case of COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health has declared COVID-19 outbreaks at nine Ottawa schools.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board reports COVID-19 cases at 20 schools--22.5 per cent of all schools in the board--with 25 classes and five cohorts closed due to COVID-19.  Monsignor Paul Baxter school was ordered closed for two weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board reports cases at 12 schools, which accounts for 8 per cent of all schools in the board. No classes or cohorts have been ordered closed due to COVID-19 cases. Each school only has a single case.

Ottawa's French public school board reports active cases at 10 schools--23 per cent of all schools in the board--with six classes and three cohorts closed due to novel coronavirus. Cases of COVID-19 at one of its schools have been declared resolved.

The French catholic school board is reporting 29 cases in total spread among 19 schools, or about 37 per cent of all schools in its board. The CECCE removes schools from its list as cases are resolved. There were 21 schools on its list as of Thursday, Sept. 24.

In a statement on Friday, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches reiterated that keeping schools open is one of Ottawa Public Health's top priorities.

"It is essential for the mental health of children, parents and guardians and it is essential for our economy so people can go back to work," said Dr. Etches.

"Everyone is impacted when people cannot rely on schools."

Ottawa Public Health told CTV News Ottawa last week that students are beginning to contract COVID-19 through interactions at school.

Dr. Etches says, "We need to continue to do the right thing to keep transmission levels low at the community level to keep COVID-19 out of schools in the first place."

"I know Ottawa residents can step up and take action to flatten the curve."

COVID-19 outbreaks have now been declared at nine schools in Ottawa.

  • Assumption School
  • Ecole elementaire catholique Montfort
  • Ecole elementaire Seraphin Marion
  • Ecole secondaire publique Louis-Riel
  • Franco-Ouest secondary school
  • Gabrielle Roy Public School
  • Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School
  • Lycee Claudel (private school)
  • Monsignor Paul Baxter School

Ottawa Public Health ordered Monsignor Paul Baxter School closed for at least two weeks following four cases of COVID-19. Two students and two staff members have tested positive.

Here is a breakdown of the COVID-19 cases in Ottawa's schools as of Monday, Sept. 28 at 11:30 a.m.:

Ottawa Carleton District School Board: 12 schools (11 students, one teacher tested positive)

Ottawa Catholic School Board: 20 schools (24 students, three staff members tested positive)

Conseil des ecole Catholique Centre-Est: 19 schools with active cases (The CECCE says there are 29 cases in all schools. The CECCE had reported cases at 21 schools as of Thursday, Sept. 24)

Conseil des ecoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario: 10 schools with active cases (12 active student cases and three staff cases). Two COVID-19 cases at De La Salle are considered resolved and the school is not listed on the board's active COVID-19 case list.

Correction:

A previous version of this article said there were 61 schools with COVID-19 cases, but some boards remove schools from their list after cases are resolved. The cumulative number of schools that have experienced at least one case of COVID-19 to date is 64.

We regret the misunderstanding.