COVID-19 School and Child Care Information

Complete the Ontario COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening tool (external link). The screening tool provides next steps for the symptomatic individual and their household contacts including; when to return back to school or child care.

Your child must self-isolate if they have COVID-19 symptoms (external PDF) or are waiting for test results after experiencing symptoms.

If household members have no symptoms and are fully vaccinated or have tested positive for COVID-19 in Canada in the last 90 days and have been cleared, they are not required to self-isolate.

If household members are not fully vaccinated or have not tested positive for COVID-19 in Canada in the last 90 days and have been cleared, they are required to self-isolate until the student showing symptoms tests negative, is cleared by Public Health, or is diagnosed with another illness.

Complete the Ontario COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening tool (external link). Follow the direction provided from the results. The tool will provide direction about when to return to school or child care after receiving a negative or positive COVID-19 result.

Halton Region Public Health will provide direction for return to school when an individual tests positive for COVID-19.

If someone in a school or child care setting tests positive for COVID-19 and an individual is a close contact, the individual will receive a letter from Halton Region Public Health with information on how and when to get tested for COVID-19 as well as additional actions for the individual and their family.

Public Health will maintain the confidentiality of the individual who tested positive for COVID-19. Also, Public Health will work closely with school administration or child care operator to provide appropriate communication to all families.

To maintain individual privacy, school/child care staff or parents/guardians will only be contacted by Halton Region Public Health if their child(ren) are identified as a close contact of a confirmed case, and further information about the individual case or outbreak will not be shared publicly.

As every situation is unique, Public Health will determine the risk level of contacts as part of their case investigation. There are many things we take into consideration while doing our risk assessment, which is consistent across Ontario. For example, we explore if the confirmed or probable case:

• was symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, or asymptomatic;
• was at school during the time they were considered infectious;
• is a student or staff member;
• knows the source of their infection (if they do, it is unlikely they got it at the school but if they do not, then we have to consider the school as the site where they may have become infected).

We also explore:

• the age group/grade;
• developmental stage;
• ability to wear appropriate personal protective equipment;
• the type of activities the person was involved in while at school; and
• the current IPAC practices at the school and of staff member and students, including:
  • Physical distancing
  • Desk spacing
  • Masking
  • Cohorting

The most important piece of information is if the individual was at school during the time they were considered infectious. All of the other information is taken together to help Public Health staff determine risk. Close contacts with high-risk exposure are asked to self-isolate and seek testing.

An outbreak would be declared in a school or child care setting once it has been determined that there are two positive cases with an epidemiological link (for example, these children could have become infected with COVID-19 at school/child care either from each other or a common source). Each case will need to be assessed and it would need to be determined that transmission occurred in the school or child care setting before confirming it as an outbreak since it is possible that children could have been infected outside the school/child care setting.

Once an outbreak in a school or child care is confirmed, Halton Region Public Health would communicate with the school administrator or child care operator to let them know and provide further direction on actions to take. Public Health would continue to investigate to identify any other close contacts and will determine if a one or more classrooms or the entire school would need to be closed.

To maintain individual privacy, school staff or parents/guardians will only be contacted by Halton Region Public Health if their child(ren) are identified as a close contact of a confirmed case, and further information about the individual case or outbreak will not be shared publicly.

Non-medical masks are safe to use, even among children.

In terms of risks, continuous mask use may be associated with facial skin lesions, rashes and acne. In younger age groups, there are potential risks related to language and social development. Also, there is a risk of self-contamination if an individual touches or moves their mask with dirty hands. Therefore, it is important to incorporate hand hygiene with mask use.

Overall, Halton Region Public Health recommends the use of non-medical masks as an additional measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The following are tips for how to care for your mask:

• Clearly identify your mask with names or initials, to avoid confusion or accidentally using another person’s mask.
• It can be helpful to label your mask to indicate top/bottom and front/back.
• Do not share or swap your mask with others, or touch a mask belonging to someone else.
• Your mask should be stored a clean place (for example, individually labeled container or sealed bag).
• A mask should not be worn if it is wet, damp or dirty.
• Cloth masks should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.
• Wash your cloth mask by putting it directly into the washing machine, using a hot cycle, and then dry thoroughly.
• Discard disposable masks in a plastic lined garbage bin after use.
• Families should consider providing an additional mask for children in case a back-up mask is needed during the day and to facilitate every day washing of a cloth mask.

For more information, refer to Use of Non-Medical Masks or Face Coverings in Schools (PDF file) fact sheet.

Reasonable exceptions on the requirement to wear masks will apply.

Students may wear their own non-medical masks. Parents are responsible for providing and maintaining cleanliness of the mask.

For more information, refer to How to Wear a Mask – How to Put on and Take Off Your Mask fact sheet (PDF file).

The best storage option is a labeled paper bag or envelope as these materials do not retain moisture which could allow bacteria to grow on the mask. If a paper bag or envelope is used, discard at the end of each day.

Alternatively, use a labeled cleanable container with a lid or a sealable plastic bag. If a reusable container with a lid is used, clean and disinfect it at the end of each day.

Fanny packs, pockets and break-away lanyards that release when pulled or when pressure is applied, may be used for temporary mask storage (e.g. during outdoor play).

A child will need to self-isolate at home if they:

• have symptoms of COVID-19;
• have a known exposure to COVID-19; or
• tested positive for COVID-19.

If the child is unable to self-isolate alone then an adult or caregiver will have to isolate with them away from the rest of the family members in the home. If the adult with the child is fully vaccinated, the adult does not need to self-isolate.

Every family situation is different. There are several ways to support your child’s mental health and physical health, while ensuring the safety of your child and the rest of your household:

• Talk openly with your child about any questions or worries they may have about self-isolation. Provide cuddles but avoid direct contact with saliva or body fluids.
• Consider having one parent/caregiver care for the child, if possible. They should limit contact with other household members as much as possible (have separate meal times, and sleep in a separate room, use a separate play area, and their own bathroom).
• Limit sharing common household items and clean and disinfect all items between use.
• Masks should be worn as often as possible and fit well, covering the nose, mouth and chin. Children must be at least 2 years old to wear a mask, and be able to remove it.

For more information, please refer to How to care for a child who needs to self-isolate (external PDF) fact sheet from Public Health Ontario (external link).

All high-risk contacts in a school or child care setting are provided a letter from Public Health which gives direction for the individual who is identified as a high-risk contact as well as their household members.

Follow the direction provided in the letter you receive from Public Health.

Complete the Ontario COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening (external link) tool. Follow the direction provided from the results. The tool will provide direction about who may need to self-isolate in your household.

It is recommended that every person required to self-isolate stay in one place, living with the fewest people possible, for the entire time they are required to self-isolate (in accordance with the Section 22 Class Order (PDF file)).

Parents who share custody or co-parent may wish to adjust usual shared parenting arrangements.

For example:

• If the child is the one required to self-isolate, allow the child to remain in one home until the self-isolation period is complete.
• If a parent is required to self-isolate, allow the child to remain in the home of the other parent (who is not self-isolating) until the self-isolation period is complete

If you have a lawyer assisting you with family law matters, you may wish to seek their advice. If you do not have a lawyer, the Law Society of Ontario website (external link) also includes information about its emergency family law referral service as well as contact information for Legal Aid Ontario (external link).

Halton Region Public Health is not able to provide parents with legal advice on their family law obligations, including those established by an agreement or court order.

For further information, please refer to our fact sheet, Public Health Tips for Parents on Sharing Child Custody and Co-Parenting during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF file).