This guidance will assist staff in addressing coronavirus (COVID-19) in educational settings. This includes childcare, schools, further and higher educational institutions.

The strategy outlined in this guidance is containment (i.e. to reduce opportunities for transmission to contacts in the community) and is based on the Canadian context and public health assumptions that reflect the currently available scientific evidence and expert opinion.

What schools will need to do during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Early learning services, schools and tertiary organisations are expected to develop their own pandemic plans to protect students and staff or a possible pandemic. In most cases this will involve reviewing and updating existing emergency management plans, to include a pandemic section.

Effective prevention of communicable diseases in schools/centres not only safeguard the health of children and staff by minimising the harm caused by the diseases, but also ensure a delightful learning environment to support the healthy development of children.