Child with Symptoms & When to Return to Child Care or School
This information was last updated April 9, 2021. Information can change as further evidence or guidance becomes available and/or community status changes.
If you have been told your child has been identified as a high-risk contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19, please watch the video on Important information for high-risk contacts of COVID-19. A public health liaison will be calling as soon as possible to provide instructions, answer questions and gather information.
If any person in your household is considered a high-risk contact of someone who has COVID-19, any children in the household CAN attend child care or school (including post-secondary) in-person during the risk period. Parents/caregivers/others in the household must stay home except for essential reasons, such as work.
What to do if your child has symptoms.
If your child is staying home or has been sent home from child care or school because of symptoms or illness, keep them home. Limit contact with others, seek medical advice as necessary, and follow the instructions below regarding testing and when they can return to child care or school and other activities.
Assessing for symptoms of COVID-19 should focus on evaluating what is new, worsening, or different from the child’s baseline health status or usual state. Symptoms associated with known chronic health conditions or related to other known causes/conditions should not be considered unless new, different or worsening.
You should talk to your health care provider about chronic conditions that might appear to be COVID-19 symptoms and communicate this to the child care provider or school.
Staff, students and children with any new or worsening symptom of COVID-19, even those with only one symptom, must stay home 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 symptom onset and they are feeling better.
If your child has 1 or more symptoms, they must stay home and self-isolate immediately. Contact the Assessment Centre nearest you to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing. Contact your health care provider for further advice or assessment.
Siblings, parents/guardians, and other household members of individuals with symptoms must also be self-isolating until the test result comes back negative, they are cleared by local public health, or they are diagnosed with another illness. If any household members develop symptoms, they should arrange testing as well.
Your child's health care provider can also help you determine whether the symptoms are related to another non-COVID-19 condition, or if they should get tested for COVID-19.
Testing information for your community is available on the Testing Information page. This webpage also provides other information about testing, including how to access your child’s test results.
Your child must continue to stay home and limit contact with others while awaiting a test or the test results, even if they are feeling better. See the instructions below about when they can resume their usual activities, including returning to child care or school. Children can still participate in remote learning if they feel well enough.
Household members of individuals with symptoms must also be self-isolating until the test result comes back. If any household members develop symptoms, they should arrange testing as well.
When your child can return to child care or school.
There are several situations that will determine when a child can return to child care or school after being home ill or with symptoms. Follow the directions in Ontario's COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool and in the tabs below if they were tested for COVID-19 or not.
Parents/caregivers should also follow school or child care centre policies, such as those related to travel.
If you child had symptoms of COVID-19 but they did not get tested, they must self-isolate for 10 days, unless ALL of the following apply:
a health care provider diagnosed them with another illness; AND
they do not have a fever (without using medication); AND
it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started improving (if they had symptoms).
This direction does not apply to those who have:
been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days and are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
those who are household members of someone who has returned from travel outside of Northwestern Ontario who has/develops symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they have not traveled and do not have symptoms themselves). Household members of symptomatic travelers must self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop.
They can return to school if ALL the following apply:
they do not have a fever (without using medication); AND
it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started improving (if they had symptoms).
This direction does not apply to those who have:
been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days and are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
those who are household members of someone who has returned from travel outside of Northwestern Ontario who has/develops symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they have not traveled and do not have symptoms themselves). Household members of symptomatic travelers must self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop.
They can return to school only when they are cleared by your local public health unit.
If it has been 10 days or more since your child developed symptoms AND symptoms are improving AND they do not have a fever, they can return to school in the absence of receiving their test result.
If it has been less than 10 days since your child developed symptoms, please be patient as test turn-around time can vary.
To inquire about accessing your child’s test result, please contact the assessment centre that performed the test.
This direction does not apply to those who have:
been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days and are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
those who are household members of someone who has returned from travel outside of Northwestern Ontario who has/develops symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they have not traveled and do not have symptoms themselves). Household members of symptomatic travelers must self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop.
Other Important Information
If your child tests positive, public health will be notified and will contact you to provide information, guidance and begin the public health investigation to determine high-risk contacts and possible exposure.
TBDHU will call you to gather details about your child’s contacts. If your child has been at child care or school during the infectious period, TBDHU will contact the facility to get information about high-risk contacts.
Your child would need to self-isolate and take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others, including to others in the household. Visit the Caring for Someone with COVID-19 page for tips and suggestions.
All household members must self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with the confirmed case. If they are in contact with them every day, the self-isolation period for household members is 14 days from the day the case comes out of isolation. If any symptoms develop in household members, arrangements for testing should be made.
A Public Health Nurse will follow up daily to check on their overall health and well-being, answer your questions, and provide ongoing support and recommendations.
Your child must stay in self-isolation at home and not return to child care, school or other activities in the community until public health advises you that it is okay for them to do so.
A repeat test is not needed - and is not recommended - for someone to be considered ‘cleared’ or ‘resolved’ of their COVID-19 infection.
At this time, siblings, parents/caregivers and other persons in the household of symptomatic individuals must self-isolate 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 get tested, all household contacts must self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with the symptomatic person. If they are in contact with them every day, the self-isolation period for household members is 14 days from when symptoms started to appear in the unwell person.
This guidance may change under certain circumstances. TBDHU will provide further instructions as necessary.
If any person in your household is considered a high-risk contact of someone who has COVID-19, any children in the household CAN attend child care or school (including post-secondary) in-person during the risk period.
Parents/caregivers and other persons in the household of high-risk contacts who do not have symptoms must be staying home except for essential reasons, for the duration of the contact's isolation period. Essential reasons could include going to work and going out for essential errands such as groceries, attending medical appointments or picking up prescriptions.
