August 2021
These recommendations replace our previous recommendations (June 2021)
On behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), we appreciate your commitment to the Trottibus initiative.
In accordance with public health recommendations issued by the Government of Quebec and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and as we prioritize the well-being and safety of Trottibus participants and volunteers, we adapted the instructions to be followed for pursuing Trottibus activities at participating schools in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that these instructions are intended for all active Trottibus school participants (organizing committee members, volunteers, children registered for the Trottibus and their parents) who wish to once again use or begin to use the Trottibus during the 2021- 2022 school year.
The CCS used the Back-to-school 2021-2022 – Covid-19 plan established by the Government of Quebec as a reference for most of its recent measures regarding the Trottibus initiative.
- Physical distancing between children participating in the Trottibus is not required.
- We recommend maintaining a distance of 2 metres between children and volunteers or having Trottibus volunteers wear a mask when interacting with participants within 2 metres.
- There are no distance restrictions to be followed between children participating in the Trottibus and between pairs.
- Pairs made up of children/volunteers living under the same roof are preferred and no physical distancing is required between them;
- Pairs should, to a possible extent, remain the same every day;
- Physical contact between walkers during Trottibus trips should be avoided.
- Wearing a mask outside is not required for students participating in the Trottibus.
- For Trottibus volunteers, we recommended following CNESST guidelines, i.e. physical distancing (2 meters) or wearing a mask when interacting with participants within 2 meters.
- Both students and volunteers must wash their hands before joining the Trottibus and after leaving it. In addition, we recommended that each participant have antiseptic gel in their bags to wash their hands before joining and after leaving the Trottibus.
- As physical distancing between children is no longer required, the constraint limiting groups of children walking on the Trottibus to 8 is no longer in force.
- The CCS recommends the presence of 2 adult volunteers per Trottibus trip and maintaining the ratio of 1 adult volunteer per 8 children.
- We recommend that you plan the Trottibus arrival at the school with the organizing committee and the volunteers to keep too many groups from gathering at the same time (as it would be difficult to ensure adequate physical distancing between people).
- We recommend asking parents of children who do not work or who work from home to meet additional volunteer needs.
Please take note of your volunteers’ comments and report them to the Canadian Cancer Society so that we can make any necessary adjustments to these recommendations.
If you experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever or cough, difficulty breathing, sudden loss of sense of smell or taste, headache or sore throat, or other symptoms listed on the government website, please stay at home and call 1 877 644-4545 (and follow the instructions given to you).
Please also stay at home if you have been instructed to self-isolate (return from travel, diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, etc.).
For more information on COVID-19, please visit quebec.ca.