BARRIE, ONT. -- Masks are now required for students Grade 1 and up as thousands of students across Grey Bruce prepare for in-class learning to resume on Monday.
The government gave the green light earlier this week for students in seven public health units to return to in-person learning, but some schools will remain closed for those school boards that straddle health unit borders.
Along with Grey Bruce, some students with the Bluewater District School Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, and Trillium Lakelands District School Board can return Monday.
However, schools within the geographical borders of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will not open.
The government said it's taking a regional approach to reopening schools, given that the rates of COVID-19 cases in each community vary.
Most school boards started reaching out to parents to clear up the confusion after the province's announcement Wednesday.
Parents still unsure if their child is returning on Monday are urged to contact their school board for clarification.
The government did not give a clear date for when the remaining students across the province would return to in-class learning. It also did not specify when the situation might be re-evaluated.
Ontario's five hotspots, York Region, Toronto, Hamilton, Peel Region, and Windsor-Essex, were told schools would be closed until at least Feb. 10.
With files from The Canadian Press
