Peel Public Health has apologized after telling parents to keep their young children in separate rooms with no contact with the rest of the family during isolation.
First reported by True North contributor Anthony Furey, families in the Peel Region were given notices explaining that if their child gets dismissed from school because a classmate tested positive for coronavirus, they must be kept away from loved ones.
“If your child does not have any symptoms: the child must self-isolate, which means stay in a separate room, eat in a separate room apart from others, use a separate bathroom if possible,” the handout says.
“If the child must leave their room, they should wear a mask and stay 2 metres apart from others.”
The restrictions include young children who get dismissed by child care.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown spoke out against the new policy on Monday. After speaking to Peel Public Health, Brown says the guidelines will be changed to protect children and the previous flyers will be removed from circulation.
In a statement on Monday, the Region of Peel said that caregivers can isolate with their children. Peel apologized for the confusion they caused families.
The policy has been heavily criticized by medical professionals who pointed out the obvious harm prolonged isolation would have on young children.
Dr. Martha Fulford, an Ontario infectious diseases physician who specializes in pediatrics, told the Toronto Sun that treating children in such a way is absurd given the low risk coronavirus poses to children.
“I don’t understand how any health-care professional has moved so far away from the fundamentals of public health and of doing no harm that they would think that basically incarcerating a child in a room for 14 days is in any way justified,” Dr. Fulford said.
“This is shocking, especially when you consider this is being proposed for children who are not in any way sick.”
Lockdowns are having a profoundly negative effect on Canadian children. Among the disturbing trends among children include spikes in loneliness, mental disorders, inactivity and disrupted educational opportunities.
In early February, over 100 Canadian doctors and pediatric experts signed a letter calling for the complete return of in-person classes.
