Update: Two new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Peel Friday; Ontario sees largest single-day jump in infections to date

On Friday morning, the Ontario Ministry of Health confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 in Peel for a total of 28 in the region. Those infected include a woman in her 20s who came into close contact with an infected person and a man in his 40s whose infection origin is currently pending. Both are self-isolating. 

Ontario has seen the largest single-day jump to date with 50 new cases confirmed, bringing the provincial total to 308.

On Friday afternoon, the province launched the first phase of its Learn at Home initiative, an online portal providing educational resources to families affected by school closures. 

"The Learn at Home initiative will help mitigate 'learning loss' during this period of uncertainty," said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. "Our plan will provide interactive teacher-led math supports to keep students learning and empower all students to learn key skills with an emphasis on STEM education, while also arming parents with resources to support them as their kids learn at home."

Kids were supposed to return to school Monday, March 23, after March break but with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, classes have been postponed until at least April 5. This means children will be out of school for two more weeks, perhaps longer. The disruption to education means parents are stuck finding things for their kids to do, which the online portal can assist with.

For students without access to a computer, the province is working with school boards to provide the necessary technology to those in need. Throughout the day, TVO Kids is offering educational programming for school-aged children. The Learn at Home initiative will have bilingual materials and online tutors available. All learning resources are in alignment with K-12 curriculum.