Doctor Janet DeMille is one of many disappointed with the province not returning children to the classroom for the remainder of the academic year.

The Medical Officer of Health for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit is also not surprised by Wednesday’s announcement by Premier Doug Ford.

“I had a sense and I think we had all heard that what was being considered, that they wouldn’t reopen schools to in-person learning. I held out some hope, but it was disappointing to hear it confirmed,” said DeMille.

The Premier did mention outdoor graduations for students, which according to DeMille could be managed but would be difficult on short notice.

“It’s really about doing things outdoors as much as possible and maintaining that two meter distance, wearing a mask even at outdoor events, and limiting the number of people that might be in a given location at a given time,” mentioned DeMille.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has an active case count of 61 heading into Friday.