If your child comes down with symptoms of COVID-19 or is ill, please proceed with the following steps:
STEP 1: Pick Up Your Child From School
The school will call you if your child is sick or develops symptoms of COVID-19 at school. Your child will be isolated in a room where they can remain comfortable, until you can pick them up. You should make every effort to pick your child up immediately.
If symptoms develop at home, please keep your child at home and DO NOT send them to school.
Please Note: Only symptomatic students will have to go home. Those not presenting any symptoms can remain at school, including any siblings of the symptomatic child.
STEP 2: Book a Test for COVID-19
A negative test result for the four “core” COVID-19 Symptoms could speed up your child’s return to school. Parents can call Health Link 811 or fill out the COVID-19 AHS Online Self-Assessment Tool at: www.alberta.ca/covid-19-testing-in-alberta.aspx
Please Note: Only symptomatic students need to be tested. Siblings and parents/guardians are not required to be tested, unless they too develop symptoms, or are a close contact of a confirmed case of original or variant COVID-19.
STEP 3: Stay Home and Get Better
The Four "Core" Symptoms of COVID-19 are:
• Fever (38 °C or higher)
• Cough (continuous, more than usual)
• Shortness of breath/ difficulty breathing
(continuous, out of breath, unable to breathe deeply)
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
If your child has one or more of the four "core" COVID-19 Symptoms, they must do one of the following before they will be allowed to return to school.
1. Stay home and isolate for a minimum of 10 days from when symptoms began.
Isolation requirements are set by the Alberta Government. More information on isolation requirements are available at: www.alberta.ca/isolation.aspx
2. A student can return before 10 days ONLY if they receive a negative COVID-19 test result, AND symptoms are gone, AND they are not a close contact of a confirmed case of original or variant COVID-19.
Please Note: Siblings of a child with symptoms can still attend school, unless they too have symptoms, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19.
The other symptoms of COVID-19 are:
• chills (without fever, not related to being outside in cold weather),
• sore throat/painful swallowing,
• runny nose/congestion,
• feeling unwell/fatigued, lack of energy,
• nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea,
• unexplained loss of appetite,
• muscle or joint aches,
• headache,
• conjunctivitis (commonly known as pink eye)
If your child has ONE of the above “other” symptoms, they can return to school if they are feeling better, as long as it has been at least 24 hours.
Testing is not needed if they only have one of the above “other” symptoms, and it improves after 24 hours.
If they are not getting better, if they get worse or develop another symptom, keep your child home until symptom(s) resolve, use the AHS Online Assessment Tool or call Health Link 811 to check if testing is recommended.
If a child has TWO or MORE of the above “other” symptoms:
• Keep your child home.
• Use the AHS Online Assessment Tool or call Health Link 811 to determine if testing is recommended.
• Your child can return to school and activities once their symptoms go away as long as it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started.
STEP 4: Return to School
If isolation period has ended, or negative COVID-19 test results received and symptoms have resolved your child may return to school.
No student with symptoms will be allowed at school.
Please Note: You are required to continue completing self-screening health assessment of your child each day. That is available on your school website.
If your child is ill or has developed COVID-19 symptoms, or previous symptoms persist, Do Not attend school.