Quebec is gradually lifting restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, including fully eliminating the province’s vaccine passport system this March and phasing out masks in public places in the spring.
Businesses have also slowly started to reopen as the government and the province’s public health officials look for new ways to live with the novel coronavirus.
Yet, even as the situation has improved in recent weeks, the pandemic is still underway nearly two years after it was declared.
With the changing rules, it’s hard to keep on top of what to do if you feel unwell. Public health still urges caution and for Quebecers to isolate when necessary.
“The rules around the management of infection and the management of contacts is not changing,” Dr. Luc Boileau, the province’s interim director of public health, told reporters last Thursday.
Here’s a guide on what to do if you think you may have contracted or come into contact with COVID-19.
What to do if you have symptoms
Quebecers who have symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to stay home and to do a test to determine if they have contracted the virus.
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Symptoms can be similar to a cold or flu. They range and can affect people differently, as well. Symptoms include runny nose, fever, sore throat, diarrhea and cough.
An exhaustive list of symptoms can be found on the government’s website.
Where to find tests
In Quebec, government-run screening sites are now limited to high-risk groups such as health-care workers and teachers. Anyone who is over the age of 70 and has symptoms can also get a PCR test.
A full list of who can access testing clinics is available on the province’s website.
All other Quebecers, meanwhile, must rely on rapid tests. Kits are free of charge and available at pharmacies across the province.
Rapid test kits are also given to families at schools and daycare centres.
What do if you don’t have a test
If you have COVID-19 symptoms and don’t have access to a rapid or PCR test, you must stay at home.
You have to self-isolate for five to 10 days, depending on your symptoms and whether or not you are vaccinated.
Anyone who chooses not to be tested must also remain at home and follow the same rules as above.
How long to isolate if you have COVID-19
Quebecers who test positive for COVID-19 have to stay at home for a minimum of five days. Self-isolation means you can’t go for walks or have visitors over during that period. The province’s full list of guidelines can be found online.
Anyone who is 12 and older as well as fully vaccinated against the virus is required to isolate for five days from the onset of symptoms or from when the test was done.
After that time, if symptoms have improved and there has been no fever in the last 24 hours, they can leave the house — but they must wear a mask during any social interaction and maintain a two-metre physical distance when possible from others for the next five days.
If symptoms drag on after the first five days, they have to isolate for a full 10-day stretch.
Any Quebecer who is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms or a positive test result.
Children under the age of 12 must stay at home for a minimum of five days. After that period, kids must do a rapid test. If the result is negative and they do not have symptoms or a fever for at least 24 hours, they can leave the house. Children — except those in daycare and pre-school — need to wear a mask as well as practise physical distancing for the next five days.
If a child does a rapid test on the fifth day and the result is positive, they must stay home. The isolation period is a total of 10 days.
Any person under the age of 21 with special needs who cannot wear a mask is required to isolate for five days.
After the fifth day, they must continue to isolate for another five days if they test positive again or if they do not have access to a test.
If the second test result is negative and the person doesn’t have symptoms, the isolation period ends. They must practise physical distancing when possible for five days.
How long to isolate if you’re immunocompromised or in the ICU
The Quebec government says that any person who is considered immunocompromised and has contracted COVID-19 must isolate for a period of 21 days.
This is the same rule for anyone who was hospitalized in an intensive care unit for the virus.
Inform contacts if you have COVID-19
If you have COVID-19, you have to inform others who may have been exposed to the virus.
You have to reach out to people you were in contact with in the two days prior to the onset of symptoms.
Heading back to work after a diagnosis
The guidelines for heading back to the office or workplace differ depending on what you do for a living.
Health-care workers who contracted COVID-19 and have since recovered need to reach out to their workplace before ending isolation measures and returning to work.
Other workers can return in person to their jobs once the isolation period is over and if their symptoms have improved. They will have to follow any measures outlined by the province’s workplace safety board, which could vary depending on the situation.
As an aside, your employer could have their own rules or suggestions about returning to work after a COVID-19 diagnosis. It’s best to check if they have any other requirements in place.
What to do if you came into contact with someone who has COVID-19
In Quebec, there are different rules on what to do if you come into contact with a COVID-19 case. The instructions vary depending on whether you’re considered a high-risk contact and your age.
For example, if a member of your household has contracted the virus, you are considered a high-risk contact. The province says you must also self-isolate for at least five days and monitor yourself for symptoms for at least 10 days. It is also possible you will have to stay home for at least 10 days.
The government has detailed instructions on what to do, depending on your situation. The full list of instructions can be found online.
Once again, your employer may also have their own guidelines for returning to work so it’s best to check to see what they may require as well.
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