OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health has released a helpful resource for parents while preparing for Back to School – a COVID-19 screening tool for students.
The health unit says the COVID-19 screening tool will help parents and guardians decide whether or not their child can attend school.
Parents are asked to complete the COVID-19 screening tool daily before children head to school.
The Ottawa Public Health screening tool asks parents:
Has your child travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
Has your child been in close physical contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
Does your child have any of the following symptoms?
- Fever (feeling hot to touch, a temperature of 37.8 degrees or higher)
- Chills
- New or worsening cough
- Barking cough, making whistling noise when breathing (croup)
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat (not related to seasonal allergies or other known conditions)
- Trouble swallowing
- Changes in taste or smell
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea or stomach pain
- Unusual headache
- Runny noise, or nasal congestion (not related to seasonal allergies)
- Unexplained fatigue (lack of energy)
- Sore muscles (long lasting or unusual)
- Pink eye (irritated, itchy or painful eye that may have crusting or discharge)
- Sluggishness or lack of appetite
- No symptoms
Has your child had close contact with someone with new COVID-19 symptoms (like a cough, fever, or difficulty breathing) in the last 14 days?
The online COVID-19 assessment tool will then say whether your child can go to school, "your child should not attend school today and should get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible", "your child should not attend school today" or "based on your answer, we recommend that your child stay home"
You can access the Ottawa Public Health screening tool on the website.
