Children To Be Screen Tested For COVID-19 Every Day Before School

Tuesday, 29 September 2020 07:43

You have three options if your child does not pass the screening process, including keeping them at home for 14 days and when they show no symptoms for 24 hours.

OXFORD COUNTY - Parents continue to deal with the stress every morning of sending their kids to school.

As it stands right now if your child is showing any symptoms of COVID-19, including a runny nose, they have to stay home and cannot attend school until they are symptom free.

Parents are asked to take the school screening test every morning before sending your child to school. You can find that test online here.

If you're child does not pass the screening, you have three options:

1. Keep your child home for 14 days AND until they are 24 hours symptom free

2. Take your child to your health care provider

3. Take your child for a COVID-19 test.

Over in BC, they have removed a number of the symptoms that would require testing in children, most notably a runny nose, headache and fatigue.

Local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock says they do not have plans to adopt the BC model at this time and they are trying their best to keep the schools open; however the current symptoms are not set in stone.

"We are trying to walk a fine line to assure that our schools are as safe as possible and keep our schools open and our children going to school, while at the same time, not unnecessarily making parents have to go and get their children tested. We are learning as we are going, if we can make the burden any easier on children and parents, we will but we always have to keep in mind that we half to keep the school environment as safe as possible."

She adds if your child always has a runny nose because of allergies you can visit your family doctor to avoid getting tested.

"If you as a parent know, that this is a common symptom for your family, than we suggest you double check with your family doctor, I wouldn't say the family doctor is the first person to go to, walk your way through the tool first and then if you think, I'm not sure the school is telling me the right information, because I know my child and this is not COVID, then call your doctor to confirm. Not even child with a runny nose necessarily needs to go for a test, let the tool help you out."