Dr. David Williams, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health has come out with suggestions and recommendations regarding Covid-19.
He says:
If you do not have any symptoms of Covid-19
Everyone in Ontario should be practicing social distancing to reduce their exposure to other people. This means that you can carry out daily activities, such as going to work (if you cannot work from home) and doing necessary shopping and appointments.
Avoid close contact with people outside of their immediate families. Close contact includes being within 2 meters of another person.
In addition:
If you believe you have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 symptoms, self-monitor for a period of 14 days. This means that, in addition to social distancing, you should track how you feel. You should take your temperature daily and log any other symptoms that develop (e.g., sore throat, new cough). You can share these records with your primary care provider over the phone if you seek assessment services.
All persons over 70 years of age and individuals who are immuno-compromised are advised to self-isolate for a period of 14 days. This means that you should only leave your home or see other people for essential reasons. Where possible, you should seek services over the phone or internet or ask for help from friends, family or neighbours with essential errands.
If you have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days
If you have travelled and are not a healthcare worker or another essential service worker, self-isolate for 14 days since your arrival in Canada. People who are self-isolating should not go to work.
In addition:
- Workers who have travelled and are part of workplaces that are essential to daily living are able to return to work as long as they are asymptomatic. However, they should self-monitor for a period of 14 days and identify themselves to their employer so that a plan can be put into place to ensure the protection of those workplaces.
- Children under the age of 16 years who have travelled outside of Canada should also self-isolate for a period of 14 days. Parents should actively monitor their children’s symptoms. Children who are self-isolating should stay at home and avoid social gathering points such as community centres or parks.
Public Health Ontario has fact sheets on how to self monitor and self isolate.
If you start to feel symptoms of Covid-19
Anyone who begins to feel unwell (fever, new cough or difficulty breathing) to return home and self-isolate immediately. People who are self-isolating should seek clinical assessment over the phone – either through TeleHealth Ontario (1-866-797-0000) or by calling their primary care provider’s office. If you need additional assessment, your primary care provider or TeleHealth will direct you to in-person care options. If you are in medical distress and need urgent care, you should call 911 and let them know what you are self-isolating because of Covid-19.
If you are an employer
All employers in Ontarians have been asked by Dr. Williams to facilitate virtual work arrangements to enable employees to work from home where possible to enable workers to limit their activities, care for children and to self isolate. “However, I recognize that there are a number of workplaces where this is not possible. I would ask those employers to use their judgement to sustain operations in a manner that maintains social distancing,” he said.
If need to seek health care for Covid-19
If you are unwell and need to seek health assessment for Covid-19 there are three options to available:
- A Self Assessment Tool available at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
- Telehealth Ontario at: 1-866-797-0000 (24/7)
- Your primary care provider – you should call your primary care provider and they will provide virtual assessment by phone or other technology. You should not book an in-person visit for Covid-19 assessment without first having a virtual assessment.
If you require an in-person health assessment, you will be referred to an appropriate location for in-person health assessment. Only people with Covid-19 symptoms will be tested.
There are important actions that you should be taking every day in order to protect your health.
These include:
- Washing your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Sneezing and cough into your sleeve
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- Avoid contact with people who are sick
- Stay at home if you are sick. In particular, do not visit a long-term care, retirement home or other congregate living situation.
“Thank you for all of your support. These are difficult times, but together we will move through and protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Dr. Williams.