Federal Guidelines for Travelling with Unvaccinated Children Outside of Canada

Posted On Tuesday November 02, 2021

The Durham Region Health Department has asked the board to remind parents and guardians of the following federal guidelines for unvaccinated children who travel outside of Canada.

Student has travelled outside of Canada  

  • The student must follow federal guidelines for quarantine and testing after returning from international travel.
  • If the student is fully vaccinated they may be exempt from federal quarantine. If the child/student is not fully vaccinated, they are not to attend school/child care for 14 days, even if they traveled with a vaccinated companion.
  • If the student develops a symptom from the full list of COVID-19 symptoms, they should self-isolate and get tested right away. 

Household member has travelled outside of Canada

  • If anyone in the household has travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days, the person who travelled must self-isolate for 14 days if they do not meet the exemptions for federal quarantine requirements.
  • The other individuals in the household who have not travelled can attend school/child care/work, as long as they don't have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • If the household member who travelled develops a symptom from the full list of COVID-19 symptoms, the student will need to stay home until COVID-19 is ruled out unless the student is fully vaccinated or has had a previous recent COVID-19 infection. 

FAQ’s on Durham.ca School Toolkit    

Visit the Region of Durham’s website Schools Reopening Toolkit for more information.

Q. What if my child travelled outside of Canada and is fully vaccinated against COVID-19?
Fully vaccinated children who have travelled outside of Canada and meet the requirements to be exempt from federal quarantine, are able to attend school. Visit COVID-19 vaccinated travelers entering Canada for more information.

What if my child travelled outside of Canada and is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19? 

Unvaccinated children less than 12 years of age who enter Canada with their fully vaccinated parents, step-parents, guardians or tutors, are not required to quarantine upon entering Canada if both the child and the parents, step-parents, guardians or tutors, meet certain requirements in the Order and comply with the conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health.

The following is what your child cannot do for the next 14 days:

  • Attend a setting where they may have contact with vulnerable people (e.g., long-term care facility), including with people who are immune compromised, regardless of that person’s vaccination status or public health measures in place.
  • Attend school, camp or day care.
  • Travel on crowded public transportation that does not ensure physical distancing and masking (e.g., crowded subway).
  • Attend large crowded settings, indoors or outdoors, such as an amusement park or sporting event. 

As well, here is a link to DRHD’s updated poster for school screening:

STOP COVID-19 (durham.ca) 

Resource

For more information, read the following Government of Canada resource.  

Covid-19: For unvaccinated children under 12 without symptoms and travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians: COVID-19: For unvaccinated children under 12 without symptoms and travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians - Canada.ca