Toronto Public Health announced on December 4 that it has updated its COVID-19 student screening tool to prevent further opportunities for virus spread.

As part of this guidance, if a child has one or more new, or worsening COVID-19 symptoms, parents will now be required to:

• Keep their child home.
• Keep siblings and other children home, even if they do not have symptoms.
• Arrange for the child to get tested or contact their health care provider.
• Without testing, the child must stay home for 10 days.
• Monitor the family for symptoms. Adults must stay home if they have one or more symptom.

The TDSB takes its lead from Toronto Public Health and will begin using this new screening guidance starting Monday, December 7, 2020.

Based on this update, here is the new student screening tool from Toronto Public Health, as well as the revised TDSB’s Health Pass. The TDSB Daily Health Screening App will also be updated to reflect these changes. The COVID-19 School Decision Guide is also a helpful tool to review.

Ensuring the health and safety of our staff and students is our priority and we all play a role. Again, one of the most important things families can to do help slow the spread of COVID-19 is to screen their children daily for COVID-19 symptoms and keep them home from school if they are sick or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.

Thank you for your continued efforts to help keep our school environments safe and healthy.

 

Message from Toronto Public Health

Read the PDF version

Dear Parent or Legal Guardian:

Re: Updated COVID-19 Public Health Measures

As Toronto is now in Lockdown (Grey Zone under the Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework), Toronto Public Health has updated the student screening tool, available here.

If your child has one or more symptoms of COVID-19, under the new screening requirements, you need to:

 Keep your child home, even if the symptoms are mild.

 All the children in the same home must also stay home.

 Arrange for your child to get tested at an Assessment Centre. Contact your health care provider, if needed.

 Your child and their siblings may return to school if the test is negative.

 Without a test, your child and their siblings must stay home for 10 days. They may return to school after 10 days if they do not have symptoms. A doctor's note is not needed for return to school.

 Monitor your family for symptoms. Adults must stay home and get tested if they have one or more symptoms.

With high rates of COVID-19 cases in Toronto, it is very important that your family members follow these public health measures:

 Stay home except for essential trips, such as work, school, or healthcare visits.

 Stay home if you are ill, even if symptoms are minor.

 Limit gatherings in your home to the people you live with. If you live alone, you may include one person from outside your household.

 Go out for fresh air and exercise only with the people you live with.

 Check in with vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours virtually or by phone.

 Download the COVID Alert App to be notified if you were close to someone who is contagious with COVID-19.

More information on the Grey Lockdown restrictions is available here. Visit school information for parents & caregivers regularly for updates.
 

Yours truly,

Nicole Welch RN. BSc. MSc.

Director, Toronto Public Health