Embarking on an international trip with the family while COVID-19 positive and sending a sick child to school and a sleepover are some of the 13 violations of the York Region medical officer of health's isolation order resulting in charges.
Dr. Karim Kurji brought the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act section 22 class order into effect on March 4 to help ensure compliance of the requirement to self-isolate to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
Since then, 95 inspections and investigations have occurred, resulting in the 13 charges for non-compliance, according to York Region spokesperson Patrick Casey.
In one case, a COVID-19 positive individual and their family travelled internationally while required to self-isolate, resulting in exposures at the airport, on an airplane and internationally, involving multiple health jurisdictions locally, provincially, federally and internationally, Casey said.
The cases also include individuals who attended school or child care while sick or with COVID-19 positive family members at home.
Parents with COVID-19 symptoms or with ill individuals at home have sent children to school or child care, against the school screening tool, resulting in the dismissal of multiple cohorts of students and staff, Casey said.
"In some instances, up to 38 people have been dismissed (from school or child care) to self-isolate for 14 days, as well as their families," he added.
One COVID-19 positive parent sent children to school while symptomatic and to a sleepover while waiting for test results to return, resulting in nearly 50 high-risk exposures and secondary spread to other households and families, Casey said.
"These activities resulted in high-risk exposures which put everyone at risk," he said. "It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure COVID-19 cases in York Region continue to decline. It is more critical than ever we continue following all public health guidelines, including self-isolating when you or a member of your household are sick."
