There are a few more empty desks inside Simcoe County classrooms this year.

And it’s not just because of online learning.

Pandemic precautions are making parents like Debbie Vanzon keep their kids home longer when they get sick.

“On Saturday (Oct. 10), my daughter Emma woke up and wasn’t feeling well,” Vanzon said.

Emma felt worse the next day, but with a long weekend, she had time to rest.

“At that point, I decided to get us tested for COVID.”

Still waiting for test results, Emma stayed home from school on Oct. 13.

“I also found out the girls who go to Emma’s school next door to us, and another two girls in her class, stayed home as well – all with the same sniffles, cough and temperature. It got me worried.”

Both of their tests came back negative. However, Emma remained home the rest of the week.

“I can’t send her to school. She still has a bit of a cough. I’m scared if I send her back, they’ll send her home. I don’t want her waiting in that isolation room.”

That decision means Vanzon is also staying home.

She worked from home this summer, but once Emma returned to school, Vanzon headed back to the office. She’s thankful her employer understands.

“If this had happened last year, Emma would have been home for a day and I definitely would’ve sent her back to school,” Vanzon said. “Now, there’s so much caution, and I don’t blame them.”

An October showed that 16 per cent of parents had missed work to tend to their sick kids, with at least one of their children getting a COVID-19 test.

“A startling number of parents have missed work and had to quit or change their work,” Children First Canada CEO Sara Austin said in a press release. “We are talking about potentially hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are dealing with reduced incomes and increased risk of food insecurity and homelessness.”

On Oct. 1, the province changed the rules to deal with sick kids. Children with sniffles don’t need a COVID-19 test, but must stay home for at least 24 hours and can only return to school if symptoms improve. Visit for the latest screening test.

“We’re happy families are conducting the self-screening and following the directions,” Simcoe County District School Board spokesperson Sarah Kekewich said.

She acknowledged that many students had already missed class this year.

But when asked for attendance figures to compare last September to this year, Kekewich requested that Simcoe.com file a Freedom of Information request.

The Catholic school board was also asked for their attendance records on Oct. 8, but information has not yet been provided.

“We do expect with flu season and back-to-school, there’s always illnesses going around,” Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board spokesperson Pauline Stevenson said. “The difference is this year, if you have symptoms, we’re asking parents to keep their children home.”