Schools

Personal Public Health Measures

Students and staff should follow these core public health measures to protect themselves against COVID-19:

Ensure vaccination status is up-to-date

For the most up to date information on COVID-19 vaccines, please visit our website: Time For The Shot – Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Practice good hygiene

  • Wash your hands often. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use a Health Canada approved hand sanitizerif you do not have soap and water.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette. Cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue (immediately dispose of after use).

Stay home when sick

  • Stay at home and away from others if you are sick with symptoms of COVID-19 unless it is to get medical attention.
  • If you have access to COVID-19 rapid tests, use them if you are sick.
  • For information on the use of rapid tests please visit our website: Instructions – COVID-19 (gov.nl.ca)
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.

 

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.

COVID-19 and Schools

  • Emerging evidence across Canada and other countries tells us that school closures have negative impacts on children. Evidence also shows that school closures are less effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 compared to other public health measures (Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, 2022).
  • 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.
  • The harms of school closures cannot be understated. We are concerned about social isolation from online learning and increased mental health concerns in children and youth. Some children rely on schools to access specialized services and supports, food, and physical activity. School closures may have a greater impact on vulnerable populations, such as low-income families, single-parent households, and people with pre-COVID mental health conditions or disabilities.

Masks

Wearing a mask plays a role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Wearing a mask at school will be a personal choice made by staff, students and their parents based on their own risk assessment and should be welcomed and recommended.

When making the decision to wear a mask at school, you should consider the following factors:

Up to Date COVID-19 Vaccines

  • Are you up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines?
  • You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.

If you answered no, you should consider wearing a mask at school.

Recent COVID-19 Infection

  • Did you have COVID-19 recently?
  • Reinfection is less likely in the 2-3 months after you had COVID-19.

If you answered no, you should consider wearing a mask at school.

High-Risk Groups

  • Are you considered to be in a high-risk group or do you live with a person who is in a high-risk group?

If you answered yes, especially if you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you should consider wearing a mask at school.

Learn more about who is at high risk

Indoor Crowded Settings

  • Will you be attending a crowded indoor event at school?

Large, crowded settings where there are many people close together increase the risk of spread of COVID-19, especially if it is indoors.

If you answered yes, you should consider wearing a mask at school.

 

Other Respiratory Viruses

Wearing a mask also protects you from other respiratory viruses that are circulating, such as influenza.

 

Proper Use of a Mask for Children

  • Masks with three layers are recommended. This could be a three-layer cloth mask or three-ply disposable non-medical mask. Neck gaiters (also known as neck warmers or buffs), scarves and bandanas are not recommended.
  • Masks should be comfortable and completely cover your mouth and nose with no gaps.
  • Masks should be changed after they become wet or soiled.
  • Reusable masks should be washed after a day’s use.
  • Parents and guardians should be reminded of appropriate use and cleaning, back-up and storage of masks.
  • Masks can become an unintended hazard (for example, physical injury if caught on playground equipment).

The ability of a child to wear a non-medical mask will be dependent on age, maturity, physical ability and comprehension.

How to Properly Wear a Mask

More Guidance on Masks

 

Busing

Wearing a mask on a bus plays a role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Wearing a mask on a bus will be a personal choice made by staff, students and their parents based on their own risk assessment and should be welcomed and recommended.

Rapid Testing

If you have symptoms, it is recommended to use a COVID-19 rapid self-test if available. Repeat testing improves accuracy of the test. If the first test is negative, you should take another test 48 hours later if symptoms have not resolved.

Further guidance on rapid testing is on the provincial COVID-19 website.

When you receive the tests, keep them in a safe place and out of reach from children and pets.

How to use your tests

  • You should use rapid self-tests if you start having symptoms.
  • You can hold your remaining tests for future use or you can use them if you see an invalid result (see instructions).
  • You may share your rapid tests with others who require testing if you have extra kits available at home (for example, friends and family members).

 

When to use your tests

Symptomatic testing

  • If your child has symptoms, they should stay at home until their symptoms have improved and they haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours.

You may choose to use a rapid self-test if you have them on hand.

If they are at higher risk of severe disease, they should test for COVID-19 because, if positive, they may be eligible for early treatment. 

Rapid Self-Testing Instructions

Repeat testing improves accuracy. If the first rapid self-test is negative, and they continue to have symptoms, do another test 48 hours later.

If your child tests positive, they should stay at home until symptoms have improved and they haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours. Contact your primary care provider or pharmacist if you think your child may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments.

When your child is feeling better and leaves home, for 10 days after their symptoms started, they should:

  • Wear a mask outside their household.
  • Avoid non-essential visits to high-risk areas, including hospitals, long-term care homes, large crowded settings, and social gatherings.
  • Avoid non-essential close contact with high-risk individuals, including those with chronic conditions, compromised immune systems and older adults.

Please visit https://covidassessment.nlchi.nl.ca to report your child’s positive rapid self-test. This will greatly help Public Health follow disease trends and make decisions on public health measures. Reporting is a tool for public health surveillance to monitor COVID-19 trends and is used for statistics purposes only. Please note you will not receive any official documentation when you report your positive rapid self-test result.

Thank you for your contribution!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a rapid COVID-19 self-test?

A rapid COVID-19 self-test can detect COVID-19 in about 10-15 minutes. This test can be used at home to detect COVID-19.  If you test positive on a rapid test, you have COVID-19. Please review the guidance for positive cases for more information.

  1. My child is fully vaccinated, should they still take a rapid test?

Rapid tests may be taken at any time your child has symptoms of COVID-19.

  1. How do I use a rapid COVID-19 self-testing kit?

Instructions will be provided in the kit you are given. For more information visit: How to Use rapid COVID-19 self testing kit

  1. When should I test my child using a rapid COVID-19 self-test?

The tests can be used if your child has symptoms of COVID-19.

  1. When is it notappropriate to use a rapid COVID-19 test?
  • If your child is experiencing more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, you should seek medical care immediately.
  • If your child does not have any symptoms.
  1. My child was recently vaccinated for COVID-19 and is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, should I use a rapid COVID-19 self-test?

You may experience symptoms after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no need to use a rapid COVID-19 self-test unless symptoms persist longer than two days. 

  1. Can I use the rapid COVID-19 self-tests on the adults in my household?

Yes. You may share your rapid tests with others who require testing if you have extra kits available at home (for example, friends and family members).

  1. Can I test my child with the rapid COVID-19 self-test if they don’t have symptoms?

The rapid self-tests are intended to be used in school-aged children with mild symptoms.

  1. Can I use the rapid COVID-19 self-tests on my child who is under two years old?

The rapid self-test kits have not been approved for use in children under two years of age.

  1. My child does not have symptoms of COVID-19 but tested positive on a rapid self-test, what should I do?

Your child has COVID-19. Do not complete any more rapid tests. Please review the guidance for positive cases for more information.

  1. My child has tested positive twice using a rapid COVID-19 self-test but then had a negative third rapid COVID-19 self-test?

Your child has COVID-19. Do not complete any additional testing. Please review the guidance for positive cases for more information. Please go to Rapid Test Reporting Tool to report your positive rapid self-test.  This will greatly help Public Health follow disease trends and make decisions on public health measures.

  1. What happens if my child’s rapid test is positive?

A positive rapid self-test result means your child has COVID-19. Please report your positive test result by completing the online COVID-19 Assessment and Test Reporting Tool. You do not need to report this to your child’s school. Please review the guidance for positive cases for more information.

  1. How do I safely dispose of my used rapid COVID-19 self-test?

You can safely dispose used tests in your household garbage.

  1. My child’s rapid COVID-19 self-tests are negative but they have symptoms of COVID-19, what should I do?

If your child has symptoms, they should stay at home until their symptoms have improved and they haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours.

Repeat testing improves accuracy. If the first rapid self-test is negative, and they continue to have symptoms, do another test 48 hours later.

When your child is feeling better and leaves home, for 10 days after their symptoms started, they should:

  • Wear a mask outside their household.
  • Avoid non-essential visits to high-risk areas, including hospitals, long-term care homes, large crowded settings, and social gatherings.
  • Avoid non-essential close contact with high-risk individuals, including those with chronic conditions, compromised immune systems and older adults.
  1. If I see pink shading on the strip bordering the black label, is this a positive result? (Quickvue tests only) 

Only a pink line about half of a centimeter below the blue control line should be considered a positive result. A pink line bordering the black label with the arrows, a vertical pink line, or a faint grey line next to the blue control line is not considered a positive test line and should not be called a positive result.