TORONTO -- With schools opening up in the next few weeks, Canadians are preparing for a very unusual school year.

From staggered class schedules to face masks, school districts, boards and individual schools have different plans for reopening in the pandemic.

While physical distancing, self-screening, environmental cleaning and hygiene are a few common safety measures adopted by schools across the country, it’s still uncertain what going back to school will look like and many parents are expressing concern, some opting not to send their kids back at all.

To help those parents who’ve chosen to send their kids back to school in person, CTVNews.ca asked infectious disease specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkawy to rate common school activities based on how risky they are in the pandemic.

From getting to school to eating in the cafeteria, coronavirus transmission risk varies for different activities.

Sharkawy rated riding to school in an Uber or Lyft as low because some vehicles have a plastic barrier between seats and drivers and riders are required to wear masks. He rated riding with family members as medium and then carpooling with others as medium-high because riders may not wear masks if those people are in the same social bubble.

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COVID-19 risk level by school activity Aug 24 2020