Parent Information: Monitoring and Managing COVID-19

Posted September 18, 2020

September 18, 2020


Public Health has developed helpful protocols to manage COVID-19 symptoms and cases in schools. These protocols outline the steps that will be taken by individuals, schools and Public Health in the following areas:

  1. When a student or staff member has COVID-19 symptoms 
  2. When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 
  3. When a student or staff member can return to school/work 

For the most up to date documents and protocols, visit WDGPH’s website at https://www.wdgpublichealth.ca/your-health/covid-19-information-schools-parents-and-teachers/schools

Daily Screening

Parents are responsible for performing a daily screening of their child(ren) for COVID-19 symptoms BEFORE leaving for school using a self-assessment checklist. Students and staff are expected to stay home if symptoms or possible exposures are identified and parents must phone the school to inform them of their child’s absence. 

To assist with screening each day, parents can use the province’s COVID-19 school screening tool at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/. Screening your child every day before leaving for school is one of the best ways to help keep our schools and community safe. 

Managing COVID-19 symptoms at school

If a student develops symptoms while at school, they will be immediately separated from others and supervised in a designated room/space and their parent/guardian will be contacted for immediate pick up.  Students from the same family will need to be picked up as well if exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.  Schools will provide parents/guardians with a letter from Public Health regarding next steps. You can view the letter and steps for families below:

Public Health recommends that parents take their child to be tested at a COVID-19 testing site if they have symptoms. Students will need to follow the Public Health protocols before returning to school.

COVID-19 case reporting

The Upper Grand District School Board will inform students, families and staff about confirmed cases of COVID-19, in alignment with Ministry of Education guidelines. The UGDSB will post information on this page when the board receives notification from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health of a confirmed case of COVID-19 involving a student or staff member in a school setting: https://www.ugdsb.ca/community/coronavirus/reopening-schools-plan/covid-19-advisory-reporting/ 

Please note that the identity of the individual who tests positive is protected by privacy legislation and will not be shared.

If Public Health advises the board that a class or school should be temporarily closed, we will inform the community immediately. 

In the event of a positive case in a school setting, the school will send home a School Case Information Sheet from Public Health with information and next steps families should take. You can review the steps by clicking the link below:

If parents have any COVID-19 questions or concerns, call WDGPH’s COVID-19 Call Centre at 519-822-2715 ext. 7006 or visit their website at wdgpublichealth.ca.

Thank you for your cooperation as we all work together to keep our schools and communities safe. 

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