School, childcare and COVID-19

Use this page to find out:

  • when to keep your child at home from school or childcare
  • when it's OK to send your child to school or childcare
  • when your child can return to school after being tested for COVID-19

If your child has symptoms

Your child should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if:

they have symptoms of COVID-19 and:

  • are unwell
  • have a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or higher)

They do not need a COVID-19 test unless a GP or health professional advises them to have one.

Urgent advice: Contact a GP if:

your child has symptoms of COVID-19 and:

When to keep your child at home from school or childcare

Keep your child at home if they:

  • have symptoms of COVID-19 and feel unwell - if a runny nose or sneezing is their only symptom, it's OK to send them
  • have a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or higher)
  • have got a positive COVID-19 test result
  • have diarrhoea and are aged 12 or younger

When it's OK to send your child to school or childcare

It is usually OK to send your child to school or childcare if they:

  • only have nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose or a sneeze, but otherwise feel well
  • have not had any new symptoms for 48 hours
  • have not had diarrhoea for 48 hours
If your child has a positive test result

If your child has a positive COVID-19 test result, they should:

  • stay at home for 3 full days from the day their symptoms started
  • avoid contact with other people

If your child has COVID-19

People your child lives with

People your child lives with who are at high risk of illness from COVID-19 should take extra care. There is a higher risk they could get the virus. If they develop symptoms, they should phone their GP.

Returning to school or childcare after testing positive

Your child can return to school or childcare when both of these apply:

  • they have not had a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or over) or other symptoms for 48 hours
  • it has been 3 days since they first developed symptoms

To return to school or childcare your child:

  • does not need to do another test
  • does not need to show a negative test result
  • does not need a GP cert or a note from a GP

Children in special education or respite care

If your child is in a special needs school or respite care, a public health doctor will phone you if there is COVID-19 case or outbreak. They will tell you what you and your child need to do.

Page last reviewed: 18 April 2023