The Renfrew County and District Health Unit is reminding parents regarding the changes to the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool. The updates have been made in light of the emergence of COVID-19 variants. The screening tool must be completed daily before attending school/childcare. Individuals completing the tool must follow the instructions given at the end of the assessment and arrange for COVID-19 testing as directed. The link to the online screening tool can be found Here
The following changes are outlined below.
Single-Symptom Screening – Staff, students and children with any new or worsening
symptom(s) of COVID-19, even those with only one symptom, must stay home without
exemption, until:
• They receive a negative COVID-19 test result;
• They receive an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional; or
• It has been 10 days since their symptoms started and they are feeling better.
Asymptomatic household members of symptomatic individuals must: Self isolate, do not leave
home, even for essential reasons.
• All asymptomatic household contacts must also self-isolate without exception, even for
essential reasons, until the symptomatic individual receives a negative COVID-19 test
result or an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional.
• If the symptomatic individual does not seek COVID-19 testing, all household contacts
must also self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with that symptomatic individual.
Asymptomatic household members of asymptomatic individuals who are deemed by public
health to be high-risk contacts: Stay at home, except for essential reasons.
• If an asymptomatic individual is directed to self-isolate as a high risk contact of a
positive COVID-19 case, their asymptomatic household members should stay home for
14 days except for essential reasons. In this case, attending school, child care or work is
allowable for the household contacts as an essential activity, as long as everyone in
the household remains asymptomatic.
It is important that parents monitor a child’s illness and keep them out of school or daycare if
they are sick, as you would with any other illness such as the flu. If you or your child are sick,
contact your Family Physician. If you do not have a Family Physician or cannot access your
doctor, call Renfrew County Virtual Triage Assessment Centre (VTAC) at 1-844-727-6404 to
schedule an appointment. If you feel that you or your child are seriously ill, call 911 or go to the
nearest Emergency Department.
