COVID-19 - As Ontario reopens, learn about public health and workplace safety measures. Learn about the COVID-19 vaccination and service disruptions.

Schools, Child Care and Camps During COVID-19

Vaccinating Youth

Youth aged 12 and older at the time of the vaccination can book an appointment

COVID-19 vaccination for youth

Report COVID-19 cases

Schools, child care centres, licensed home child care programs and children's camps are responsible for reporting suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases to Public Health.

Report lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases

To report suspected cases, call the COVID-19 Info-Line. A suspected case is someone who has COVID-19 symptoms AND an exposure. An exposure is:

  • Travel outside of Canada in the last 14 days; or
  • Exposure to a known case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days

Don't report staff or children who are symptomatic and going for testing without any known exposure even if a serious occurrence report is completed.

For schools

Don't report suspect or confirmed COVID-19 cases who are staff / students who have been working / attending school virtually.

If they haven't presented in person to the school environment, they will be followed up through the regular COVID-19 case and contact tracing process.

COVID-19 Info-Line

Talk to a public health professional Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Contact

Screening for COVID-19

Active screening is the best line of defence for preventing COVID-19 in school or child care.

"Active screening" means that the facility must collect and review information to actively determine whether a person may enter a school or child care setting. This is different from "passive screening", which occurs when employees do their own health assessment and decide for themselves whether they may enter the workplace or not.

The Ontario Ministry of Health has updated the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool to ensure that staff and children who are at risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus do not enter a facility and that they seek appropriate medical advice or testing.

Parents of young children can complete the online screening tool while at home. The screening tool doesn't need to be completed again, even when attending after school care, however, staff should always be aware of new symptoms that may occur throughout the day and notify parents immediately for pick up.

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

Learn about screening for symptoms, next steps, and when children can return to school / child care.

Outbreaks

A COVID-19 outbreak in a school or child care setting, including before / after school programs and camps, may be declared when there are two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children / students and / or staff or other visitors, who are potentially linked to one another, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school or child care setting, including transportation.

Child care centres and licensed home child care programs

  • Enhanced safety measures for child care programs

    Child care centres and licensed home child care programs are open with enhanced health and safety measures in place.

    • Child care centres and licensed home child care programs, including centres in First Nations communities, can operate at full capacity
    • Before and after school programs for school aged children can operate with standard ratios and maximum group size requirements

    See EarlyON Child and Family Centres for the status of EarlyON Child and Family Centres during the pandemic.

    All child care centres and licensed home child care programs, before and after school programs, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and First Nation Child and Family Programs must:

    All staff in child care centres and licensed home child care programs are to be trained and adhere to these enhanced health and safety requirements.

    Review our Child Care Manual (Fifth Edition) for requirements that must be met in child care centres and licensed home child care programs to ensure the individuals who use them stay safe and healthy.

  • Serious occurrence reporting

    Previously, licensees were required to report all suspected cases of COVID-19 to the Ministry. Currently, only where a child, staff, student, home child care provider, home child care visitor or a person who is ordinarily a resident / regularly present at a home child care premises has a confirmed case of COVID-19, such as a positive COVID-19 test result or a suspect case as outlined above, licensees must:

    • Report this as a serious occurrence to the Ministry of Education
    • Report to the local public health unit and provide any materials, such as daily attendance records, to public health officials to support case management and contact tracing and other activities in accordance with all applicable legislation, including the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

    Report COVID-19 cases or the criteria as outlined in the Operational Guidance for Child Care during COVID-19 Outbreak.

    Regulatory changes to O. Reg. 137/15 have been made under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, including serious occurrence reporting of confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.

Schools

Resources for school and child care settings

Children's camps

If a confirmed case of COVID-19, such as a positive COVID-19 test result, or a suspect case has been on the premises of an organized day camp you can report that case here

Resources for Camps

Parents

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