Three more children and two more staff members at an emergency child care centre in Yorkville have tested positive for COVID-19 as city officials said Thursday that they will now test all workers at city-run child care facilities.
Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who is leading the city’s emergency COVID-19 response, said a total of 13 staff and seven children at Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care Centre, near Davenport Road and Bay Street, have contracted the virus since an outbreak was declared last month.
Officials previously confirmed that six staff members and four children, including an eight-month-old child, at the daycare tested positive for the virus.
Pegg said 30 children at the centre are waiting for their test results, while 20 others have tested negative.
Among staff members, he said, 19 test results are pending while 34 have tested negative.
city officials said Thursday as they announced that they will now test all workers at city-run child care facilities.
“All city emergency childcare workers, which includes approximately 300 staff assigned to our seven emergency childcare centers, are in the process of being proactively tested for COVID-19,” Pegg said.
“Toronto Public Health has been working with Toronto Children’s Services and with the provincially operated COVID-19 testing centres to do all that we can to expedite this process.”
He said staff at Jesse Ketchum and Falstaff Early Learning and Child Care Centre have been sent for testing.
The remainder of the staff at other child care centres will be tested this weekend or early next week.
One staff member at Falstaff child care centre, located near Jane Street and Highway 401, has tested positive for the virus. Five other employees are waiting for their test results.
Pegg said no children at the centre have shown COVID-19 symptoms and none are being tested at this time
The North York child care centre continues to operate, he said, but the room where the staff with COVID-19 worked has been closed off.
“Both the six staff members and the six children who have been based in this room are self-isolating at home for 14 days.”
The broader testing comes after the province requested the expansion of COVID-19 testing to workers at emergency child care centres.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said they are investigating the outbreak at Jesse Ketchum and monitoring the virus case at Falstaff.
"We want to test all those workers because they're coming from the community," Williams said. "And to appease any concerns or apprehensions on behalf of the parents who are having their children attend those child care centres."
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