Schools Reopening Toolkit

Students in grades 4 to 12 will be required to wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors in school, including in hallways and during classes. Outdoor times (such as recess and other breaks) can be used as opportunities to provide students with breaks from wearing masks within their cohorts, as long as physical distancing can be maintained.

According to the Ministry of Education Guide to Re-opening Ontario’s Schools students in kindergarten to grade 3 will be encouraged, but not required, to wear masks in indoor spaces unless a school board has set their own policy which requires all children to be wearing non-medical masks.

• Students are encouraged to practise wearing masks and learn what type of mask is most comfortable for them.
• Students may wear their own non-medical masks, and non-medical masks will also be made available for students. Reasonable exceptions on the requirement to wear masks will apply. If you have any concerns, please speak with your school principal.
• All school-based staff will be required to wear masks, with reasonable exceptions for medical conditions. Medical masks and eye protection (e.g. face shield) will be provided for all teachers and other staff of school boards, depending on direction from their own school and board (e.g. when to wear a face shield). School-based staff who are regularly in close contact with students will be provided with all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Testing your child before returning to school is generally not recommended if they do not have COVID-19 symptoms, unless they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

• Fever (temperature of 37.8°C or greater)
• New or worsening cough
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes to sense of taste or smell
• Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
• Runny nose, or nasal congestion (not caused by seasonal allergies)

Atypical symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered, particularly in children, older persons, and people living with a developmental disability. Atypical symptoms can include: unexplained fatigue/malaise/myalgias, delirium (acutely altered mental status and inattention), unexplained or increased number of falls, acute functional decline, exacerbation of chronic conditions, chills, headaches, croup, conjunctivitis, and multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children. Symptoms of COVID-19.

Note: Symptoms of multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children include persistent fever, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and rash.

All students must self-screen every day using a checklist before arriving at school. If a student is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, they must stay home from school and should seek testing and appropriate medical attention.

If your child was experiencing any new or worsening symptoms (should not be chronic or related to other known causes or conditions) of fever and/or chills, cough, shortness of breath and/or a decrease or loss of smell or taste, your child should stay home immediately. Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child is showing one of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise) your child should stay at home for 24 hours from when the symptom started. If the symptom is improving, your child may return to school/child care when they feel well enough to do so. If symptoms persist or worsen, contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child has two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise), your child should stay home to isolate immediately. Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if you child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

*If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

Stay home and isolate immediately and follow the advice of public health if:

• Your child travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.
• Your child has been identified as a close contact of someone who is confirmed as having COVID-19.
• Your child has been directed by a health care provider and/or public health to isolate.

Medical notes or proof of negative tests are not be required for students to return to school. 

For instructions while waiting for COVID-19 test results please refer to Facts about... COVID-19: Instructions for individuals tested for COVID-19.

See Facts about... What do I do if my child is sick? and Facts about...  Self-monitoring.

If your child feels sick, or develops symptoms while at school, schools will follow the following protocol:

• Students who develop COVID-19 symptoms will immediately be separated from others, and the family will be contacted to arrange pick-up.
• Students with a symptom will be sent home. The parent should follow guidance on returning to school based on the Fact sheet "What to do if my child is sick".
• Siblings/staff of ill individual can remain in school until further medical advice is received and should self-monitor for symptoms.
• Students who have followed up with a health care provider and have received an alternative diagnosis than COVID-19 can return to school once they are symptom-free for 24 hours. 

If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

If you child was feeling sick and is now feeling better you should follow the advice on the screening form for the symptom(s) that your child had, even if they are better now.  You should complete the screening form as if your child still has symptoms. 

If your child was experiencing any new or worsening symptoms (should not be chronic or related to other known causes or conditions) of fever and/or chills, cough, shortness of breath or decrease or loss of smell or taste, your child should stay home immediately.  Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child was showing one of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise) your child should stay at home for 24 hours from when the symptom started. If the symptom is improving, your child may return to school/childcare when they feel well enough to do so. If symptoms persist or worsen, contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child had two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise), your child should stay home to isolate immediately. Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

*If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

If your child is symptomatic and has been tested for COVID-19, you and your family, including siblings, should self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. You can continue to go to school and/or work if you have no symptoms.

• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 while self-monitoring, you need to self-isolate and be tested for COVID-19 (and no longer attend work and school).
• If any members of your household test positive for COVID-19, you will be contacted by public health directly with more detailed advice.

See Facts about... Self-isolation, Facts about...  Self-monitoring and Facts about... Instructions for individuals tested for COVID-19.

If your child was tested for COVID-19 they need to stay home and isolate until test results are received. Even if their symptoms have resolved they may still be infected with COVID-19.

See Facts about... Instructions for individuals tested for COVID-19.

If your child was assessed by a health care provider and referred for testing they should be tested even if their symptoms have resolved/they are feeling better. They should not return to school until a negative test result is received. If you choose not to proceed with the test, your child cannot return to school until at least 10 days from when symptoms started and only if there is no fever and symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.

If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

If your child has been referred for COVID-19 testing and/or has the following symptoms:

• New or worsening symptoms (should not be chronic or related to other known causes or conditions) of fever and/or chills, cough, shortness of breath or decrease or loss of smell or taste.
• Two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise).

and you do not want to get them tested, they need to remain isolated at home for 10 days from when symptoms began and can return to school after 10 days if there is no fever and symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.

*If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

The Health Department is responsible for determining if an outbreak exists, declaring an outbreak, and providing direction on outbreak control measures to be implemented.  The Health Department will assist in determining which cohort(s) may be sent home, or if a partial or full school closure is required.  School nurses will assist the school in monitoring attendance patterns.  If there are concerns about multiple ill individuals in a cohort, the school should report this to the Health Department.

No. Medical notes or proof of negative tests should not be required for staff or students to return to school. It is important to be in close communication with your school related to your child’s illness and direction provided by your health care provider. If your child does not have COVID-19 (e.g. your doctor has provided you with an alternate diagnosis), return to school can occur when there is no fever and symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.

If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

No. Children can return to school if they have completed their 10 days of self-isolation, have no fever and their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.

If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are managed by the Health Department and will be given guidance on when to return to school. Inform your child’s principal that you have been cleared from public health to return to school.

All staff must self-screen every day using a checklist before arriving at school. If a staff member is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, they must stay home from school and should seek testing and appropriate medical attention.

• Staff who develop COVID-19 symptoms while at school will immediately be separated from others and sent home.
• Staff with symptoms will be directed to seek medical advice including the recommendation of testing for COVID-19 as appropriate or as advised by their medical provider. Visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations/ for a full list of COVID-19 Assessment Centre locations, and book an appointment for COVID- 19 testing in Durham Region by completing the online assessment form at covidswab.lh.ca.
• Staff who have followed up with a health care provider and have received an alternative diagnosis than COVID-19 can return to school once they have no fever and symptoms have been improving for 24 hours.

If symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, staff should stay home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

No. School staff can return to school if they have completed their 10 days of self-isolation, have no fever and their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.

If symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, they should stay home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are managed by the Health Department and will be given guidance on when to return to school. Inform the principal that you have been cleared from public health to return to school.

If your child was experiencing any new or worsening symptoms (should not be chronic or related to other known causes or conditions) of fever and/or chills, cough, shortness of breath or decrease or loss of smell or taste, your child should stay home immediately. Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child is showing one of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise) your child should stay at home for 24 hours from when the symptom started. If the symptom is improving, your child may return to school/child care when they feel well enough to do so. If symptoms persist or worsen, contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if your child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

If your child has two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose and/or runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea*, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches or malaise), your child should stay home to isolate immediately. Contact your child’s health care provider for further advice or assessment including if you child needs a COVID-19 test or other treatment.

*If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.

Stay home and isolate immediately and follow the advice of public health if:

• Your child travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.
• Your child has been identified as a close contact of someone who is confirmed as having COVID-19.
• Your child has been directed by a health care provider and/or including public health to isolate.

Medical notes or proof of negative tests are not be required for students to return to school.

For instructions while waiting for COVID-19 test results please refer to Facts about... Instructions for individuals tested for COVID-19.

• For instructions while waiting for COVID-19 test results please refer to Facts about... Instructions for individuals tested for COVID-19.
• If your child has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting test result, your child should be in self-isolation and attend school virtually if well enough to participate.
• If your child has not been identified as a close contact of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and tests negative for COVID-19, they can return to school when there is no fever and symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours. If your child's symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should keep your child home until they are symptom free for 48 hours to prevent other illnesses from spreading.
• If your child has been identified as a close contact of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 a public health nurse from Durham Region Health Department will be in contact with you and will provide further instructions on self-isolation and when return to in-person learning at school would occur.
• If your child tests positive for COVID-19 a public health nurse from Durham Region Health Department will be in contact with you and will provide further instructions on self-isolation and when return to in-person learning at school would occur.

An outbreak in a school is defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff (or other visitors) in a school where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection* in the school (including transportation and before/after school care).

*Examples of reasonably having acquired infection in school include:

• No obvious source of infection outside of the school setting; OR
• Known exposure in the school setting.

The Health Department and your school public health nurse will work closely with the school to determine close contacts of the case and will provide direction on isolation and facilitate testing.

See Facts about...Outbreaks in schools.

• School public health nurses will support schools in their reopening plans and support the implementation of Ministry of Education provincial guidance documents to help ensure safe and healthy school environments.
• School public health nurses will also assist in responding to school specific inquiries and will provide regular consultation and visits to the schools as required.
• School public health nurses will play a vital role in managing COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in schools, including providing guidance to schools on confirming and controlling outbreaks and facilitating and organizing testing as required.
• School public health nurses will continue to offer comprehensive school health programming such as the promotion of positive mental health strategies to keep students as healthy as possible.

Find ways to protect you and your family.