Published Monday, April 12, 2021 8:34AM EDTLast Updated Monday, April 12, 2021 5:20PM EDT
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Monday, alongside Education Minister Stephen Lecce, at Queen's Park following a cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources told CTV News Toronto the decision was made this weekend after the province posted a record-breaking number of COVID-19 and intensive care admissions.
"We're moving school online only after the April break, we will keep a constant eye on the data, on case numbers, hospital capacity, and ICU admissions to determine when we get kids back in the classrooms," Ford said Monday.
"I want nothing more than to be able to open the schools up again as soon as possible. But we all need to work together right now to get the community spread under control."
Private schools operating in-person this week have been ordered to transition to remote learning by April 15.
Child care for non-school aged children will remain open during the school closure. Before and after school programs will be closed.
Free emergency child care for school-aged children of eligible health-care and frontline workers will also be available during the closure.
The government said school boards will make provisions for continued in-person learning for students with special education needs who require additional support that cannot be accommodated through remote learning.
The announcement to keep schools closed comes just a day after Lecce issued a letter to parents insisting that schools would remain open while the province is under a stay-at-home order.
On Monday, Lecce changed his tone while speaking in the legislature, saying that he's growing increasingly concerned about the sharp rise in infections.
They said the recent growth no longer allowed them to trace cases properly in school settings.