Reporting an Outbreak (Child Care Centres)

A child care centre or daycare must report respiratory and gastrointestinal outbreaks to the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.

Respiratory outbreaks must be reported when the child care centre has 15% absenteeism related to respiratory symptoms or 30% absenteeism regardless of the reason. Respiratory symptoms include a combination of any of the following: chills, headache, fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, hoarseness, sore muscles, feeling unwell or fatigued, or loss of appetite.

Enteric outbreaks must be reported when the child care centre has two or more children or staff absent at one time with gastrointestinal symptoms within 48 hours of each other. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms include vomiting and/or diarrhea, with or without fever.

If a child is sick at the child care centre, isolate or remove them from other children. Call the parent to pick the child up, and increase the cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.

Reinforce hand hygiene with all children at the centre. For hand hygiene and other infection control resources, click here.

To report an outbreak, call 613-933-1375 or 1-800-267-7120. Line listing forms are to be completed and sent to the EOHU on a daily basis.