MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- The Thames Valley District School Board announced eight new COVID-19 cases in area schools late Sunday.

The schools involved include:

  • Westminster Secondary School (two cases)
  • Lord Dorchester Secondary School
  • Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School
  • Parkside Collegiate Institute
  • AB Lucas Secondary School
  • Medway Secondary School
  • Emily Carr Public School

Officials say all staff, parents and guardians of affected school communities were immediately notified.

The health unit continues to investigate close contacts in order to follow-up with testing advice. Anyone who is not contacted is not considered to be at risk.

You can find the full list of confirmed cases and classroom and school closures here.

Similar details for the London District Catholic School Board are available here.

The Catholic board currently lists eight active cases at its schools including:

  • St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Elementary School
  • St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary (three active)
  • Catholic Central High School (two active)
  • John Paul II Secondary (two active)

School break extended

The province announced Monday that, while transmission in schools remains low, all schools are moving to remote learning following the winter break until Jan. 11, 2021.

From Jan. 4-8, emergency child care for health care and front-line workers will be provided.

Locally, while elementary schools will resume in-person learning on Jan. 11, secondary schools will continue remote learning until Jan. 25, 2021. During that period, child care centres, recreational and skill building programs and home-based child care services will remain open.