Recent Travel Anywhere Outside of Canada (including the USA)
- Glens Community
- Mar 25, 2020
- 4 min read
I HAVE RECENTLY TRAVELED ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF CANADA
(INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)
Self-isolation is when you have been instructed to separate yourself from others, with the purpose of preventing the spread of the virus, including those within your home.
YOU MUST self-isolate and self-monitor for 14 days. If symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing develop, consult the latest guidance on our main COVID-19 page.If you need to return home from the airport via taxi or ride-share, be sure to keep the windows down.
If you were out of country when the latest travel guidelines went into effect and need to get supplies for your household, please ask someone who is not in self-isolation to get your supplies for you or inquire about home-delivery options.
If you DO NOT have symptoms, you can still go outside to take a walk or walk your dog. We recommend that while outside you make sure to avoid crowds and maintain a distance of two metres (six feet) from others.
Stay home:
Do not use public transportation, taxis or ride shares.
Do not go to work, school or other public places.Your health care provider or Ottawa Public Health will tell you when you no longer need to self-isolate.
Limit the number of visitors in your home:
Only have visitors who you must see and keep visits short.
Keep away from seniors and people with chronic medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, lung problems, weakened immune system)
Avoid contact with others:
Stay in a separate room away from other people in your home as much as possible and use a separate bathroom if you have one.
Make sure that any shared rooms have good airflow (e.g., open windows).
Keep your distance:
If you are in a room with other people, keep a distance of at least two meters from others and wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.
If you cannot wear a mask, people should wear a mask when they are in the same room as you.
Cover your coughs and sneezes:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hand.
Throw used tissues in a lined wastebasket and wash your hands. Lining the wastebasket with a plastic bag makes waste disposal easier and safer.
Wash your hands after emptying the wastebasket.
Wash your hands
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
Dry your hands with a paper towel, or with your own cloth towel that no one else shares.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Wear a mask over your nose and mouth only if you are symptomatic:
Wear a mask if you must leave your house to see a health care provider.
Wear a mask when you are within two meters of other people.
Household cleaning and disinfection
Clean all “high-touch” areas such as counters, toilets, sink tap handles, tabletops, doorknobs, TV remotes, phones, and bedside tables daily using regular household cleaners.
Clean more often if surfaces become visibly soiled.
Clean any surfaces than may have blood, body fluids and/or secretions on them.
Wear disposable gloves when cleaning surfaces.
Use a diluted bleach solution (2 teaspoons of bleach to 4 cups of water) or household disinfectant.
Dishes and eating utensils should be cleaned with dish soap and hot water after each use.
Using a dishwasher with a drying cycle also provides a sufficient level of cleaning.
Laundry
Clothing and bedclothes can be cleaned using regular laundry soap and water and do not require separation from other household laundry.
If clothing or bedding have blood, body fluids and/or secretions, wear disposable gloves while handling soiled items, remove gloves and wash hands immediately afterwards.
Waste management
All waste generated can be bagged in a regular plastic bag and disposed of in regular household waste.
Resources:
Know the difference : Self-monitoring, self-isolation, and isolation for COVID-19
How to Self Isolate - Public Health Ontario website Self-Isolation Guide for Close Contacts - Public Health Ontario website
Ottawa Public Health has the authority to put someone on home isolation according to the Health Protection and Promotion Act of Ontario (section 22) when it is necessary to protect the public from an infectious disease. Ottawa Public Health expects that you will respect and adhere to the principles of home isolation. If you have any questions or wish to speak to a public health nurse, please do not hesitate to contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744.
INTRODUCTION OF QUARANTINE ACT
ALL TRAVELLERS RETURNING TO CANADA WHETHER IT'S FROM THE USA OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS ARE NOW LEGALLY REQUIRED TO GO INTO SELF-ISOLATION FOR 14 DAYS.
The legislation gives the federal health minister sweeping powers to stop the spread of communicable diseases either in or out of Canada. Those measures include everything from routine screenings conducted by quarantine officers at airports to the sort of mandatory isolation orders issued on Wednesday.
Returning travelers will be barred from taking public transit or placing vulnerable people at risk, but says the government will assist with transportation and accommodation arrangements as needed.
The legislation contains a wide range of penalties. Someone violating direct instructions and potentially placing the public at risk of a communicable disease, he says, can face a fine of up to $1 million and as many as three years in prison.
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