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.
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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.