Dear Parents/Guardians,
 

Further to Toronto Public Health’s message earlier this week, they have provided an additional message below with clarification on the changes to the new school screening tool, effective on Tuesday, February 16.
 

Students are required to confirm their screening daily before entering school either with the TDSB Health Pass or the TDSB Health Screening App.
 

For more information on the important health and safety practices we must all continue to do to help slow the spread of COVID-19, please visit our website.

 

 

February 12, 2021

 

Re: Changes to School Screening Tools

 

Dear Parent/Guardian:
 

To add protections for our school communities from COVID-19 and its variants, Toronto Public Health has made some important changes. As schools in Toronto re-open for in-person learning on February 16th, 2021, we want you to be aware of changes that have been made to the school screening tool for staff/visitors and students JK-12.

 

Make COVID-19 symptom screening part of your morning routine. Everyone in your household must complete the screening before school every day.

 

Changes to the school screening tool include the following:

• Household member has symptoms: If anyone in your household has one or more COVID-19 symptoms, all children and adults who attend a school setting must stay home from school until COVID-19 has been ruled out. If the household member with one or more symptoms does not go for testing, the children and adults in the home who attend a school setting must stay home for 10 days.
• Household member has travelled: If anyone in your household has travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days, all children and adults who attend a school setting must stay home from school until the person who travelled completes the federally-required 14 days of self-isolation. If the individual is exempt from this self-isolation because they perform an essential job (e.g. truck driver, pilot), the rest of the household can still attend school.
• Close contact of someone who had COVID-19: If anyone in your household is self-isolating at home because they were a close contact of someone who had COVID-19, all children in the household will need to stay home from school until the person who was a close contact completes the 14 days of self-isolation.

 

Symptoms on the screening tools that remain the same:

If students or staff/visitors have one or more new or worsening symptoms they must stay home, self-isolate and arrange to get tested. Please see Follow-Up Instructions for School Students, Staff and Visitors tested for COVID-19 for more information.

 

Adults who do not attend a school setting:

Adults in your household who do not attend a school setting can continue to go to work as long as they do not have symptoms of COVID-19, are not a close contact of a positive case, and have not travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days.

 

Thank you for all that you are doing to keep our schools and communities safe. Please continue to visit our website at: www.toronto.ca/COVID19 to stay up-to-date. Information specific to school communities is available at: COVID-19 school information for parents & caregivers.

 

Yours truly,

Nicole Welch

Director

COVID-19 Liaison

Chief Nursing Officer