First, I want to thank families for being so consciences about keeping students home if they are not feeling well and for keeping myself and the school informed when it does happen.  I’ve never had such a healthy group of students before!  That said, Bonnie Henry’s press release on Saturday is a good reminder that we all need to be doing our daily health checks.  I know mornings can be crazy  trying to get everyone ready and out the door.  However, please  make time to ask your children the questions below and check for fevers every day.  It’s very easy to assume that our children will tell us if something is wrong but they may not notice right away if we don’t ask.

Daily Health Check

The following daily health check is for students and their families to determine if the student should attend school that day.   The original health check can be found here.

Translations in multiple languages have been provided by the Ministry of Education and are listed here.

*Check BCCDC’s Symptoms of COVID-19 regularly to ensure the list is up to date.

If the student answers “YES” to one of the questions included under ‘Key Symptoms of Illness’ (excluding fever), the student should stay home for 24 hours from when the symptom started. If the symptom improves, you may return to school when you feel well enough. If the symptom persists or worsens, seek a health assessment.

If you answered “YES” to two or more of the questions included under ‘Key Symptoms of Illness’ or the student has a fever, seek a health assessment. A health assessment includes calling 8-1-1, or a primary care provider like a physician or nurse practitioner. If a health assessment is required, the student should not return to school until COVID-19 has been excluded and your symptoms have improved.

If you answered “YES” to questions 2 or 3, use the COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to determine if the student should seek testing for COVID- 19.

When a COVID-19 test is recommended by the health assessment:

  • If the COVID-19 test is positive, you should stay home until you are told by public health to end self -isolation. In most cases this is 10 days after the onset of symptoms. Public health will contact everyone with a positive test.
  • If the COVID-19 test is negative, you can return to school once symptoms have improved and you feel well enough. Symptoms of common respiratory illnesses can persist for a week or more. Re-testing is not needed unless you develop a new illness.
  • If a COVID-19 test is recommended but is not done because you choose not to have the test, or you do not seek a health assessment when recommended, and your symptoms are not related to a previously diagnosed health condition, you should stay home from school until 10 days after the onset of symptoms, and then you may return if you are feeling well enough.

If a COVID-19 test is not recommended by the health assessment, the student can return to school when symptoms improve, and they feel well enough. Testing may not be recommended if the assessment determines that the symptoms are due to another cause (i.e. not COVID-19). A healthcare provider note (i.e. a doctor’s note) should not be required to confirm the health status of any individual.