Management of Individuals Exposed to COVID-19

This section applies to students, staff or other members or visitors to the school community who become ill during the school day while on school premises.

With any symptoms of illness – COVID-19 related or not – sick individuals should stay home and seek assessment from their regular healthcare provider if required. All individuals are expected to screen every day before attending school using the provincial School and child care screening tool. Any staff, student, or visitor that does not pass the screening will not be able to attend school.

Scenario: a student becomes ill during the school day

The following actions apply to an individual, including students, staff, contractors, visitors, parents or guardians, who becomes ill while at school, including before and after school care affiliated with the school.

Recommended action by Teacher:

• be aware of symptom descriptions and alert the Principal if a student is ill
• continue to monitor students and themselves for symptoms

Recommended action by Principal:

• coordinate immediate student pick-up and designate an area to isolate the student until parent or guardian arrival
• advise student and any staff attending to them to use provided PPE kit
• advise student to remain at home and continue with remote learning, if they are well enough to do so
• if required, advise all staff of the concern while protecting confidentiality and responding with sensitivity in the circumstances
• as required, contact Superintendent and make them aware of the situation
• coordinate and ensure environmental cleaning or disinfection of the space and items used by the ill individual or individuals
• monitor school population for possible new or additional illnesses and absenteeism
• report in the daily attendance tracking tool as necessary
• report to the Northwestern Health Unit only probable or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in accordance with the duty to report under the Health Protection and Promotion Act
• dismiss, at the discretion of the local public health unit, an individual or cohort for self-isolation

Recommended action by the School Board:

The Superintendent should:

• inform the COVID-19 board lead and others at the board office as required
• provide support to the school principal as needed. The COVID-19 board lead should continue to monitor attendance and student absences at the board level.

Recommended action by parent and student:

• students with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 should get tested and isolate while test results are pending or not available unless there is a known alternative diagnosis provided by a health care provider
• consult and follow the guidance of a health care professional
• follow the guidance provided by the school regarding a safe return to school
• if a student is tested for COVID-19, follow the guidance of the Northwestern Health Unit, health care professional and related direction for isolation and returning to school

• If the individual tests positive, they must follow isolation requirements as per public health direction. If they are not tested, they should remain at home for a minimum of 10 days and until symptoms resolving for at least 24 hours, or 48 hours for vomiting/diarrhea

• Household contacts of cases should follow the direction of the Northwestern Health Unit

Management of individuals exposed to COVID-19 outside of a school setting

This section applies to individuals closely related to a school community, such as bus drivers, parents or members of a student’s or staff member’s household, who test positive for COVID-19 outside of the school.
Situations will arise where students, staff, essential visitors, or contractors or teachers may be exposed to COVID-19 outside of the school environment (for example, to family members that don’t attend the school, social contacts outside of school). Individuals who are not fully immunized or previously positive and have been identified as a high-risk close contact of a COVID-19 case, such as household members, should not attend school. These individuals should follow directions from public health on testing and self-isolation.

In general, isolation and testing of a cohort may not be necessary if the student or staff acquired the infection outside of the school setting and did not attend school while communicable. This will be determined by the Northwestern Health Unit.

Scenario: Parent tests positive for COVID-19

This scenario applies to anyone who shares a household with a student or staff member in a school community.
If a parent receives a positive test for COVID-19, they are not obligated to inform the school of their test result. However, it is strongly recommended. Children in a household where a parent or other member has tested positive for COVID-19 are considered to be high risk contacts and should get tested and self-isolate. Public health will provide detailed direction to high-risk close contacts, including household members of a person diagnosed with COVID-19.

Note: All individuals identified as high-risk close contacts by the Northwestern Health Unit should get tested for COVID-19 regardless of their immunization status.

Recommended action by Teacher:

The Teacher should support continuation of learning for any students who need to isolate.

Recommended action by Principal:

• if student is in the school, when notified by the parent, coordinate immediate student pick-up and designate an area to isolate the student until pick-up
• ask that the student or parent or guardian, as appropriate, follow the direction of their health care professional and public health

• ensure student information is up-to-date.

Note: Be prepared to provide this information to the Northwestern Health Unit upon request

• follow the directions of the Northwestern Health Unit

• connect with the Superintendent and make them aware of the situation

• monitor the school population for new or additional illness

• report in the daily tracking tool as necessary


Recommended action by the School Board

The Superintendent should inform the COVID-19 board lead and support the Principal as needed. The COVID-19 board lead should continue to monitor the situation and liaise with the Ministry of Education as necessary.

Recommended action by parent and student:

The parent and student should continue to adhere to the advice provided by local public health.

Scenario: Staff or student has tested positive for COVID-19

Recommended action by Teacher

• ensure continuation of learning for any isolating students
• continue to monitor students and themselves for symptoms

Recommended action by Principal

• follow public health direction for management of cases and contacts in schools – public health will make the determination if an outbreak exists or not
• communicate with school community as appropriate
• ensure student and sibling(s) portfolio information (that is, class list, seating charts, transportation details etc.) is up-to-date and share this information to public health upon request
• coordinate and ensure environmental cleaning or disinfection of the space and items used by the individual or individuals
• connect with the Superintendent and make them aware of the situation
• monitor school population for new and additional illnesses and symptoms
• report absence in the daily absence tracking tool

Recommended action by School Board


The Superintendent should inform the COVID-19 board lead, other board staff and support Principal as needed.

The COVID-19 board lead should:

• continue to monitor the situation and liaise with the Ministry of Education as necessary
• work with the Northwestern Health Unit as required

Recommended action by parent and student:

• engage in continuation of learning if able (if feeling well enough to participate)
• follow the direction of the Northwestern Health Unit on isolation protocol and testing requirements


Return to School

Individuals who have had a COVID-19 test because of symptoms but who test negative can return to school if they do not have a fever if their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours, or 48 hours for gastrointestinal (GI) (nausea/vomiting, diarrhea) symptoms, if they have not been directed to self-isolate and provided, they have had no contact to a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Where an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, the local PHU will be in contact with the school to provide further direction for both the individual and their high-risk close contacts, including household members. The individual cannot return to school until cleared by the Northwestern Health Unit.

If the individual with symptoms is not tested, they should self-isolate (including from household members) for a period of 10 days. Whether they are tested or not, the period of self-isolation should start from the date of symptom onset.

Individuals who have travelled out of the country are required to follow federal guidelines and laws upon their return.

Note that individuals do not need to provide a medical note or proof of a negative result to return to school. If an ill individual does not have COVID-19 For an ill individual who has a known alternative diagnosis provided by a health care professional, return to school can occur if they do not have a fever and their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours or 48 hours if vomiting or diarrhea. Individuals will still need to use the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool, or a screening tool designated by the local public health unit, daily before attending school and may also be required to provide confirmation of self-screening prior to or upon arrival at school.


If an ill individual does not have COVID-19

For an ill individual who has a known alternative diagnosis provided by a health care professional, return to school can occur if they do not have a fever and their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours or 48 hours. Individuals will still need to use the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool, or a screening tool designated by the local public health unit, daily before attending school and may also be required to provide confirmation of self-screening prior to or upon arrival at school


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