Subscribe to News 
Back to SearchSummary: Ontario Science Table, CHEO, SickKids and other hospitals across the province provide guidance on COVID-19 mitigation measures for the return to in-person school in September 2021.
To help the return to in-person school in September 2021, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, CHEO, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and other hospitals from across the province have released a Science Brief that provides guidance on how schools can prevent and control spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the adverse impacts of school closures on the physical, mental and developmental health and well-being of children and youth. Our society asked kids to make huge sacrifices to keep adults and the whole community safe. It’s time now to make sure that every child and youth in Ontario gets access to in-person schooling and that we allow kids to be kids again.
The Science Brief has looked at the best evidence in the world and produced a practical and workable plan. It provides guidance based on what we learned about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools, the experiences of students and staff, the level of vaccination and disease in the community, and inequities experienced in accessing education.
The Science Brief includes recommendations for permanent measures that should stay in place beyond the COVID-19 pandemic to protect against infectious diseases in schools, as well as temporary measures to help minimize the risk to students, staff and families when there may be higher community rates of severe COVID-19 causing hospitalization. It also outlines recommendations to re-start extracurricular activities, which are important for the well-being of kids and youth, and an important part of return-to-school plans.
The Science Brief is a collaborative effort between the Science Table, CHEO, SickKids, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, McMaster Children’s Hospital and Unity Health Toronto. Input was provided by pediatric and adult infectious diseases specialists, epidemiologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, public health officials, as well as experts in infection prevention and control, indoor air quality, education policy and administration, teachers and parents.
To view the brief, visit the Science Table’s website.
Media contact
media@cheo.on.ca
About CHEO
Based in Canada’s capital, CHEO is a globally renowned health institution with a mission to provide exceptional care and support to children, youth and their families. Opening our doors in 1974, we offer a full range of specialized pediatric care and services to children from eastern and northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut. Our site is home to a hospital, a children’s treatment centre, a school, a research institute, and is affiliated with the University of Ottawa as an academic health science centre. Named Canada’s best health-care employer by Forbes in 2024 and 2025, we are home to more than 6,500 staff, clinicians, scientists and researchers, as well as volunteers – all of whom work together to help children and youth achieve their best lives.