Schools, Child Care and Camps During COVID-19

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Public Health measures in schools

Letter to Niagara parents from Dr. Hirji outlining the measures Niagara Region Public Health is advising schools to implement to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

Screening for COVID-19 and managing symptoms

Learn about self-isolation requirements for schools and child care in Niagara.

Active screening is important for preventing COVID-19 in schools.

"Active screening" means that schools are responsible to ensure no individuals, such as students, staff and visitors, enter the facility unless it's confirmed that they have completed the screening and the result indicates that they are allowed to enter.

This is different from "passive screening", which is when individuals do their own screening and decide for themselves whether they may enter the facility or not.

The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health have updated the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool.

Some licensed child care centres and licensed home child care programs have adapted the screening tool for their own use.

General information

• Face coverings / masks

  Requirements for students

  • Masking is required for students in kindergarten to grade 12 while indoors in school, including in hallways, during classes and on school vehicles. The decision to require students in kindergarten to wear masks was made by Niagara Region Public Health to help protect all members in the school community from the Omicron variant.
  • Schools are required to get medical documentation to support mask exemption requests. This can be completed by any regulated health care professional. Parents / guardians should follow their school's or school board's specific process on seeking these exemptions. Public Health supports reasonable accommodations be included in school policy, such as considerations of socioeconomic factors or other conditions of a particular family. Schools should develop appropriate guidance / protocols to facilitate approval of mask exemptions as Public Health doesn't provide forms or approve exemption requests.

  Recommendations for students

  • For best protection, it's recommended that students wear masks that fit flush to the face without gaps and have at least three layers. Parents / guardians can contact their child's school for this type of mask if they don't already have one.
  • With parental permission, it's highly recommended that masks be worn in children over the age of two years
  • It's recommended that masks be worn outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained

  Staff and visitors

  Staff and visitors are required to wear medical masks (surgical / procedural), including in hallways and during classes, in schools and licensed child care settings. Staff should wear the non-fit-tested N95 masks provided by the Ministry of Education.

  For more information:

  • Health, safety and operational guidance for schools (Ontario government)
  • Health and safety measures for child care (Ontario government)
  • Face coverings
  • Storing a reusable mask
• Cohort notification and dismissals

  Dismissing a class or cohort after an exposure reduces the risk of further spread. For this reason, Niagara Region Public Health intends to continue dismissing cohorts where there is a test confirmed COVID-19 infection to stop the spread as soon as possible. While very disruptive when it happens, Niagara Region Public Health believes its benefits in health have outweighed the disruptions.

  Students with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be exempt from dismissal. Learn about self-isolation requirements for schools and child care in Niagara, including the duration of cohort dismissals.

  As of January 14, 2022, child care settings and children's camps are not required to report any positive COVID-19 cases. If a child care operator is aware of a positive COVID-19 case (rapid antigen or PCR) they should determine if an exposure occurred in the child care centre and provide the cohort dismissal letters if required.

Schools

• Cleaning and disinfecting

  Learn about cleaning and disinfection standards and protocols.

• Transportation

  For Niagara-specific transportation information and guidelines, visit Niagara Student Transportation Services or Francobus and your child's school board website. For updated information from the province on transportation, visit Guide to reopening Ontario's schools - transportation.

  If a child is shows any symptoms of illness, they should not take public transportation or share transportation, such as carpooling.

• Curriculum supports
  • School Mental Health Ontario
  • Curriculum and lesson plans for educators
• Resources for schools
  • COVID-19: Health, safety and operational guidance for schools (2021-2022)
  • COVID-19: Health and safety measures at schools
  • COVID-19 posters and resources