Ontario announces rapid COVID-19 testing for schools, child-care settings in high-risk areas

Ontario is rolling out a “targeted” rapid COVID-19 testing program for schools and child-care settings in areas of the province where “risk of transmission is high.”

Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said Tuesday rapid tests will be made available as determined by local medical officers of health. Parents will be able to choose if their children participate in the screening.

“This will help identify and prevent transmission in schools and licensed child-care settings, as identified by local medical officers of health based on local epidemiological circumstances,” the province said.

The rapid tests will be used only for unvaccinated students with no symptoms who are not high-risk contacts of a case.

If a child receives a positive result, they will still need to get a lab-based PCR test to confirm.

“Where the risk of transmission is very high and vaccine coverage is low at the community or school level, this measure may provide an additional level of protection for schools and child care centres to minimize risk of outbreaks and potential closures,” Dr. Moore said, referring to the rapid testing.

The province’s top doctor also reiterated that rapid tests for fully vaccinated students are not recommended.

“Routine rapid antigen screening of fully vaccinated individuals and children is not currently recommended given the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the risks posed by the disruption of learning as the result of false positive tests,” he said.

Why won’t Doctor Moore support the governments new rapid test strategy along with a parent led grassroots program? Dr. says, in a low risk setting the testing leads to too many false positives and a “cascade” of unnecessary PCR tests which would keep students out of classrooms.

— Adrian Ghobrial (@CityAdrian) October 5, 2021

In terms of what would make a school be considered high risk, Dr. Moore said a number of factors will come into play including community vaccine coverage, community test positivity rates, as well as case counts in a school or classroom.

The rapid testing announcement comes after groups of parents had organized surveillance testing for their schools using the rapid test kits, but the government told agencies to stop distributing them to anyone but businesses.

Currently, children aged 11 and under are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Dr. Moore said once approved, children with medical conditions will be first on the list to receive it.

Below is the procedure and criteria for the COVID-19 rapid antigen screening for child-care and school age children (as provided by the province):

• Based on the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, local Medical Officers of Health will continue to monitor local COVID-19 transmission and vaccination rates to identify when to implement rapid antigen screening in parts of their region based on local factors and needs.
• Rapid antigen screening will be used only for unvaccinated asymptomatic students and children who are not high-risk contacts. Symptomatic or high-risk contacts should continue to access lab-based PCR testing available at assessment centres and other collection centres.
• Where the local public health unit has identified schools or child care centres that would benefit from this screening, rapid antigen screening tests will be made available. Parents will be able to choose if their unvaccinated asymptomatic children will participate in this screening offered by their schools or licensed child care settings.
• Unvaccinated children participating in the program will be able to conduct the rapid antigen screening at home with instructions.
• Children who receive a positive result will be required to seek a confirmatory lab-based PCR test at a local assessment centre or specimen collection centre and isolate until the result of that lab-based PCR test is known. Children who receive a negative result on a rapid antigen screening test will be able to continue in-person learning. More detailed information including duration and frequency will follow.