Editor’s note: The headline and the body of the story have been changed to reflect more detailed and corrected information regarding who needs to self-isolate in the KFL&A region.
KFL&A Public Health is clarifying who needs to self-isolate due to COVID-19 in the Kingston region after Ministry of Health guidelines for case isolation changed this week, causing the change in the region’s self-isolation protocols twice over the course of Monday and Tuesday.
Public health clarified Wednesday that close contacts of positive cases must self isolate, but household members of close contacts of a positive case generally do not have to self-isolate.
The public health unit has provided Global News with a detailed list of who needs to self-isolate in the KFL&A region:
- Any contacts of a positive case who is symptomatic and waiting for test result must self-isolate 14 days from last exposure to the case and as directed by public health. If they receive a negative result, they must self-isolate 14 days from last exposure to the case and until they are symptom-free and as directed by public health. If they received a positive result, they must self-isolate for 10 days from symptom onset.
- If they are simply symptomatic with no known exposure and waiting for test result, they must self-isolate until they receive a negative result, and their symptoms have resolved for 24 hours.
- Any contact of a case who are asymptomatic and waiting for test result must self-isolate for 14 days from last exposure to the case regardless of test result and follow public health direction.
- Anyone with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 with or without symptoms must now self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms or date of test if asymptomatic.
Breaking news from Canada and around the world
sent to your email, as it happens.
If you are asymptomatic and waiting test for a result but are NOT a contact of a case then you do not have to self-isolate, according to public health.
Other amendments to the self-isolation order include a reduction from 14 days to 10 days of self-isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19, and an increase in penalties for corporations, up to $25,000 a day, that do not follow self-isolation guidelines.
Individuals who do not properly self-isolate as directed by KFL&A Public Health could be subject to a fine of $5,000 a day of non-compliance.
Comments