To help parents and guardians prepare for the return to child care and school, consider the following actions as a starting point:
- Screen your child every day before attending child care or school. The following tools can be used to screen children:
- Ontario COVID-19 School Screening Tool (online version)
- Ontario COVID-19 School Screening Tool (PDF version)
- Your child should not go to child care, school, on the school bus, or attend any before or after school programs if any of the following apply:
- they have symptoms of COVID-19.
- they have been in close contact with someone who currently has COVID-19.
- they have been advised to self-isolate by TBDHU.
- they have returned from international travel in the last 14 days and are required to self-isolate under the Federal Quarantine Act.
- If your child is staying home, let the child care provider or school know.
- For information on what to do when your child has symptoms and criteria for when they can return to child care or school, visit the Child with Symptoms & When to Return page.
- If needed, arrange a test for your child with the nearest Assessment Centre.
- Provide cloth or non-medical masks for your child to wear at child care or school. This is required for students in grades 4-12 and encouraged for Kindergarten to grade 3. However, masks are not recommended for children under the age of two years.
- Prepare them for how to wear a mask properly and how to take care of their mask.
- See the Mask Care Information Sheet for Students and Families (PDF) (ou Renseignements sur l’entretien du masque à l’intention des élèves et des familles (PDF)) or the Masks page.
- Help your child understand how to prevent COVID-19, including physical distancing and keeping hands clean, through role modeling and family discussions.
- Outside of child care or school, keep contacts limited to your social circle and avoid unnecessary travel.
- If possible, have your child walk or bike to school instead of riding the bus.
- Send your child to school with a healthy lunch, a labeled water bottle, and remind them not to share food or drink with others.
Guidance for Boarding Homes
With COVID-19 still present in our area, this year’s back to school transition will look different for students relocating to urban centres, such as Thunder Bay. Students, their families and their hosts may have questions about how things will work and how to stay safe in these uncertain times. This document provides information on how to create a safe and supportive environment for students during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Guidance for Boarding Homes - September 1, 2020 (English PDF)
Additional Information
For more information, see the School Frequently Asked Questions page. Additional information about COVID-19 and the return to school is also available on the Safe Return to School page.
If you have questions, please call the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at (807) 625-5900 or Toll-Free at 1 (888) 294-6630.