Government changes COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool

PEMBROKE - Effective immediately, guidelines for the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool have changed across the province in accordance with provincial guidelines. The Ontario Government is adopting a more rigorous and cautious approach to the provincial screening criteria. This update to the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool has been made in light of the emergence of COVID-19 variants.

The COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool must be completed daily before attending school/childcare. Individuals completing the tool must follow the instructions given at the end of the assessment and arrange for COVID-19 testing as directed.

The following changes are now in effect: Single-Symptom Screening - Staff, students and children with any new or worsening symptom(s) of COVID-19, even those with only one symptom, must stay home without exemption, until:

• They receive a negative COVID-19 test result;
• They receive an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional; or
• It has been 10 days since their symptoms started and they are feeling better.

Asymptomatic household members of symptomatic individuals must: Self isolate, do not leave home, even for essential reasons.

• All asymptomatic household contacts must also self-isolate without exception, even for essential reasons, until the symptomatic individual receives a negative COVID-19 test result or an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional.
• If the symptomatic individual does not seek COVID-19 testing, all household contacts must also self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with that symptomatic individual.

Asymptomatic household members of asymptomatic individuals who are deemed by public health to be high-risk contacts: Stay at home, except for essential reasons.

• If an asymptomatic individual is directed to self-isolate as a high risk contact of a positive COVID-19 case, their asymptomatic household members should stay home for 14 days except for essential reasons. In this case, attending school, child care or work is allowable for the household contacts as an essential activity, as long as everyone in the household remains asymptomatic.

It is important that parents monitor a child’s illness and keep them out of school or daycare if they are sick, as you would with any other illness such as the flu. If you or your child are sick, contact your Family Physician. If you do not have a Family Physician or cannot access your doctor, call Renfrew County Virtual Triage Assessment Centre (VTAC) at 1-844-727-6404 to schedule an appointment. If you feel that you or your child are seriously ill, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

For more information, visit RCDHU’s website at www.rcdhu.com or call 613-735-8654 or 1-800-267-1097.