No mandatory COVID-19 testing for sick students, province says

Students and staff who get sick when school is back in session won't need to have a COVID-19 test before returning to class unless they've had contact with a confirmed case, Ontario health officials say.

If they need to get tested and if their doctor or other assessment centre feels they need to get tested, they will get tested," said Dr. David Williams, the province's chief medical officer of health.

However, Williams said, a COVID-19 test won't be appropriate in every case. It may be an ear infection. They may have a history of that, so we want to be sensitive to the fact that children don't always get sick from COVID."

On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce, along with Williams and Dr. Dirk Huyer - the province's chief coroner, who is now co-ordinating the province's outbreak management - released back-to-school protocols in the event there are cases of COVID-19.

Williams said that while the decision about whether a sick child is tested for COVID-19 should ultimately be made by parents, public health nurses might request a test. But, he added, each case is different, each case needs to be approached separately, respecting privacy, respecting what the situation is with a child and the parent at that time."

David Fisman, an epidemiology professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said not requiring testing sounds to me like a great recipe for not seeing COVID in schools until a teacher" ends up in the intensive care unit in hospital.

Reading between the lines: sounds like they're uneasy about their ability to keep up with required test volumes given the high frequency of respiratory infection symptoms in kids," he said.

Recipe for disaster."

Health experts have said cases and outbreaks in schools are expected. When they happen, parts or all of the school will be dismissed, depending on the extent of the infections, which will be tracked in the province's public health database so officials can monitor trends in schools and districts.

Officials said parents will be asked to screen children every morning to make sure they do not have a fever or the classic symptoms" of COVID-19, which can also include coughing and trouble breathing. They noted that it is possible for children to have the highly contagious virus and not have a fever.

If they start to feel unwell, that's the bottom line," said one top official during a detailed briefing with reporters. There's no black-and-white answer."

Parents are urged to consult their family doctor or primary care provider, and may be advised to get their child tested for COVID-19 or wait it out" depending on the circumstances and medical history, such as allergies.

However, one official said authorities expect many parents will want to get COVID-19 tests for any children displaying potential symptoms for their own peace of mind.

Children must not be taken to school with any symptoms and will need to be symptom-free for 24 hours before they return.

The officials also said it makes no sense to have all two million of Ontario's students tested for the virus before school resumes because the nasal swab is a snapshot" in time.

Any child who takes ill at school will be assessed by staff in personal protective equipment, their parents will be contacted and the child will be sent home.

Parents will be informed of any positive tests in the school, at a minimum with a notice posted on the school's website and possibly with a letter sent home.

Officials urged everyone to get a flu shot, saying symptoms of influenza and COVID-19 can be similar, and expressed hope that pandemic precautions such as masks, physical distancing and frequent hand washing will keep a lid on influenza this fall and winter, as has occurred in the southern hemisphere where flu season is now in progress.

Clearly, education will be an area where there is a risk of outbreaks," Huyer acknowledged, emphasizing the continued importance of proper social distancing and handwashing, as well as not going to school or other places when you have symptoms."

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1