Parents and children and children should follow the same public health advice as provided to the general public, including:
Various measures have been put in place within schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. By implementing a combination of measures, the risk of COVID-19 is substantially reduced in schools.
Your child’s school has put in place measures appropriate for their school, location and classes to ensure the safety of all students, parents and staff. Full details on Public Health guidance during COVID-19 can be found in the following document:
Public Health Guidance for Return to School 2022
COVID-19, Children and Schools
The information below is based on the best evidence currently available from the Public Health Agency of Canada and other sources. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
COVID-19 and Children
- Most children infected with Omicron have mild disease and recover on their own.
- The risk of hospitalization is low in children aged 5-19 compared to other age groups. Vaccination further reduces severe disease and hospitalizations.
- In Newfoundland and Labrador, there have been no COVID-19 related hospitalizations and no deaths reported in children aged five to 18 due to COVID-19 to date.
COVID-19 and Schools
- Schools and childcare facility closures have significant negative mental health and socioeconomic impacts on vulnerable children.
- Studies from British Columbia show that the number of cases in schools are reflective of the spread of COVID-19 in the community and there are few transmissions in school.
- The potential harms of COVID-19 for children must be balanced with the potential harms of ongoing school closures. Prevention measures and strategies to reduce COVID-19 transmission involving children should be proportionate with the assessed level of risk.
- Schools are considered a controlled environment by Public Health. They have a consistent grouping of people, policies regarding illness and disease prevention for students and staff, and the ability to implement effective personal practices that are followed by most people in the setting (e.g. hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, use of PPE, physical distancing, etc.).