Tomorrow, the school and child care screening guidance is being updated with two sets of questions about symptoms and information to help parents make informed decisions about whether their children should attend school or child care, need to consult a health care provider, or get tested for COVID-19. The guidance can be found immediately at the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care.
Original Post: September 16, 2020
The Ontario government launched a new voluntary online interactive screening tool to assist parents, students and staff with the daily assessment of COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors that is required before attending school.
The results will let parents, students, and education staff know whether they should attend school each day or will guide at-risk individuals to the proper resources.
Though the province indicates it is voluntary, the language used indicates that the province expects anyone entering a school to take it.
The questions asked are similar to those you would be asked prior to entering healthcare settings, such as going through the list of known symptoms of COVID-19. It does allow you to print off a document that will show that you took the test and if you passed the test. It provides the date and time that you took the test, but it does not provide any personal information or information gathered by the test.
"We are doing everything we can to keep students and staff safe, and that includes this new screening tool which will help people protect themselves and others from COVID-19," said Premier Ford. "It's everyone's responsibility to screen themselves or their child for symptoms before going to school. If you're sick or someone in your household is sick, even with mild symptoms, please stay home."
The new tool could easily be used by employers/employees wanting to ensure the safety of their work place.
The government also released the Operational Guidance: COVID-19 Management in Schools document. This guide was developed in consultation with public health experts, including Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, and aims to help schools identify and isolate COVID-19 cases, reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools, and prevent and minimize outbreaks.