Toronto District School Boards enhance COVID-19 screening in GTA schools

BY PAUL JUNOR

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in schools in Ontario, there has been the adoption of stricter student screening as of Monday, December 7^th, 2020.

On Friday, December 11^th, 2020 the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) released a press release to update its student screening protocol based on the recommendation of the Toronto Public Health (TPH).  As a result, it has implemented a revised student screening, TDSB’s Health Pass as well as the TDSB Daily Health Screening App.

It is important that parents/guardians and caregivers screen their child/children for any of the following symptoms (even if it is mild). This is in effect in Toronto schools as well as Peel schools under the advice of Region of Peel-Public Health.

It can be seen at peelregiln.ca/coronavirus. The list of symptoms include:

• Fever and/or chills (> 37.8 degrees Celsius/ 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Cough or barking cough (croup)
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased or loss of taste/smell
• Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
• Runny nose or stuffy/congested nose
• Unusual or long-lasting headache
• Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Unusual or extreme tiredness or muscle aches

The updated COVID-19 public measures that the TPH released on Monday, December 7^th, 2020 states that if the child shows one or more symptoms of COVID-19 then the following must be done:

• Keep your child home, even if the symptoms are mild.
• All the children in the same home must stay home.
• Arrange for your child to get tested at an Assessment Centre. Contact your health 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 ten days. They may return to school after ten 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

It is important that these updated screening protocols are followed because according to Dr Lawrence Loh, (Peel’s Medical Officer of Health), “This will catch COVID-19 infections even sooner and help keep schools and childcare open for all children.” The stricter COVID-19 screening protocol comes after TPH and PPH originally recommended that if a child shows at least one symptom then it would be possible to return to school after 24 hours provided that there is improvement and the symptoms subsided.

Joe Cressy, Toronto city councillor told 680 News that,“Recent outbreaks and asymptomatic testing shows that we need to do more to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.” The provincial government has increased asymptomatic testing in school as a pilot and it has resulted in certain schools being closed of positive identification of cases.

The requirement by the TPH is that a COVID-19 test is required if a child displays mild symptoms. This may be challenging for many parents. The time involves getting the test and making an appointment. This may be very difficult for parents and guardians.

The TPH has advised that the following public health measures be used:

• 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
• Get 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-19 Alert App to be notified if you were close to someone who is contagious with COVID-19.