Ontario's regional public health officials are asking the province to prioritize opening schools before other public health restrictions are lifted.
The chair of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health has written to the provincial health and education ministers, asking for deployment of extra measures including getting children back into classrooms.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis' Friday letter says the council considers it both possible and imperative to open schools before other sectors.
The letter cites guidance from Toronto's SickKids hospital, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and observations from local public health units.
Schools in several southern Ontario regions with high infection rates have been closed through January, with the province staggering reopenings in rural and northern areas that have fewer cases.
Ontario's top doctor said Friday that schools in some regions may stay online until rapid COVID-19 tests can be deployed.