Testing regimes for Ottawa's English school boards over Christmas break

FILE - A nurse gets a swab ready at a temporary COVID-19 test clinic in Montreal, on Friday, May 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Ottawa's English public and catholic school boards have gone on Christmas break.

Students in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board are scheduled to return to class on Jan. 3, 2022.

• RELATED: How to use a COVID-19 rapid antigen test on yourself or your child

In the meantime, the boards have sent home letters advising families how children may be tested for COVID-19 over the holidays to ensure a safe return to classrooms in the new year.

Ottawa's French public and catholic school boards have one more week of classes left, going on break starting Christmas Eve and returning to classes Jan. 10, 2022.

Here is what the OCDSB and the OCSB say regarding COVID-19 testing for students.

OTTAWA-CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

The OCDSB has listed both rapid antigen testing and take-home polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing options.

"Testing alone is not enough to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a mask, reducing the number of contacts outside your household, avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated places and isolating when sick prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the time it takes for a test to be taken, processed, reported and then for people’s contacts to be reached," the board says.

Holiday school rapid antigen screening test program

• Who: Children learning in-person in Ontario schools. Asymptomatic (no symptoms), non high-risk contacts, vaccinated and unvaccinated
• How: Voluntary screening offered by the Provincial government. Children test every three to four days over the holiday break until all five tests are complete.

School rapid antigen screening test program

• Who: Targeted settings in schools and child care. Asymptomatic (no symptoms), unvaccinated and non high-risk contacts.
• How: Voluntary screening available in select schools based on transmission risk within the school, subject to test availability. Testing frequency would be based on transmission risk and explained in the letter to participating students. For example, children may be asked to test three (3) times per week for three weeks, which is nine (9) tests in total.

Holiday pop-up community rapid antigen screening tests

• Who: Asymptomatic (no symptoms), non high-risk contact individuals
• How: Voluntary screening offered by the Provincial government. Distribution of rapid antigen testing in public spaces including shopping centres, transit stations, libraries and recreational centres. Click here for the province's list of locations. 

School take-home testing kits (PCR)

• Who: School staff, students and household members who develop symptoms, who are identified as high-risk contacts or who test positive on a rapid antigen test.
• How: Provided by the school. Returned to your child’s school during school hours (except if closed because of the Holiday break) or to the three Assessment and Care Centres during operating hours. 

Whole school take-home testing kits (PCR)

• Who: All staff, students and symptomatic household members of a specific school.
• How: This option may be recommended for targeted schools in outbreak. You will be invited to participate and be given detailed instructions. Testing kits may be sent home with students OR can be picked up at the school.

Do-It-Yourself Test Kits – PCR (By appointment)

• Who: Children two months of age and older who have symptoms.
• How: By appointment through CHEO- Brewer Park Arena location. Parents can test children two months of age and older who have symptoms or have been identified as a high-risk contact, using a PCR test. Once complete, the test kit is then dropped off at Brewer arena for processing at the lab.

OTTAWA CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD

"In an effort to promote a safer return to the classroom after the winter break, on behalf of the Government of Ontario, the Ottawa Catholic School Board is able to provide take-home rapid antigen screening kits to every child who attends a publicly-funded school in Ontario," the OCSB says. "Rapid antigen screening kits are to be distributed to students who participate in in-person learning. This testing option will not be available to students who have been learning remotely since September 2021."

The OCSB says participation in rapid antigen screening is voluntary and is not required in order to return to the classroom after the Christmas break.

When to Use the Rapid Antigen Screening Kit (distributed prior to the winter break):

• For students who choose to use rapid antigen screening kits, it is recommended students conduct the rapid antigen tests every 3-4 days over the holiday break, on every Monday and Thursday beginning December 23, until all five tests have been used.
• Rapid antigen screening kits are only to be used when a child is asymptomatic (i.e. does not have any symptoms of COVID-19 and has not had any exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19).
• Anyone with symptoms or who is identified as a close contact of a case should still get PCR testing. Rapid antigen screening tests should not be used as a substitute for PCR tests for people with symptoms or for people who are close contacts of cases.

Using the Take-Home Rapid Antigen Screening Kit:

• The BTNX Rapid Response™ can be performed using anterior nasal swabbing (per the package insert, as approved by Health Canada) or using deep nasal swabbing (as recommended by Public Health Ontario in this document, given higher sensitivity compared to anterior nasal swabbing). Both types of specimen collection can be performed using the NP swab provided with the kit.
• Please follow the instructions provided with this letter.
• Important note: Parents or guardians may choose to administer this screening on children who may need help (i.e., younger children).

What to do after your test:

• You will know the outcome of the test within 15 minutes. If test results conducted so far are negative, your child may attend school as usual. Even if your child tests negative, they should continue to adhere to all relevant public health guidance, such as guidance on gathering, distancing, and masking.
• A positive result on a rapid antigen screening test is considered a preliminary positive. A child that receives a positive result on a rapid antigen screening test should seek a confirmatory PCR test as soon as possible (ideally within 48 hours) at a local testing site or pharmacy that offers testing and isolate themselves until the result of that confirmatory PCR test are known.

For more information on COVID-19 testing, visit Ottawa Public Health's website. 

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine, click here.