As the triple threat of viruses — influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 — circulates, student absences from school this fall have surged, when compared with previous years, according to data obtained by the Star from several boards. At the Toronto District School Board, the largest in the country with roughly 237,000 students, absences in November were up significantly. Between Nov. 7 and 25, there were about 584,000 absences in total — a student can have multiple absences. And about 12 per cent of high school students were away that week, compared with the seven to eight per cent in earlier years. In late November, both the Durham public board and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board voted against moves to bring back masking requirements.

Source: thestar December 20, 2022 20:36 UTC