Ontario Educational Institutions: COVID-19 And The Close Contact Problem

Educational institutions are embarking on a fall semester like none other. Most have already developed plans for managing the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools, on campuses, in residences and in workplaces. This short note raises an important planning point for Ontario institutions that arises out of a peculiarity in the province's current self-isolation guidance.

The significance of access control and provincial guidance

The most fundamental duty of an educational institution this fall is to control access to schools, campuses and workplaces. The object is to keep employees, students and visitors who may be contagious out of the environment and away from others, an objective most often accomplished by employing passive and active screening protocols.