Toronto health authorities orders school closures

TRENTON, Canada

Public health officials ordered Toronto schools to close on Wednesday in a move designed to slow the number of new coronavirus infections.

Canada’s largest city with about 3 million residents, reported 955 new cases on Tuesday.

"The spread of COVID-19 has never been greater in Toronto, with variants of concern increasing both the risk of transmission and the risk of serious illness or death," said a statement from Toronto Public Health.

The school closures affect about 300,000 students and is effective until April 18.

Canada overall has more than a million infection cases and over 23,100 coronavirus-related deaths.