Please be advised that one of the shareholders in attendance at the June 7, 2022 KAL Picnic has notified us that they have tested for Covid-19. If you attended the KAL social event last Tuesday, June 7, 2022 you should follow the Government of Ontario health measures noted below..
Step One: Confirm if you need to isolate
If you have COVID-19, isolating will help stop the spread of the virus.
You must isolate if you:
have symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive for the virus
You may need to isolate if you:
live with someone who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
You do not need to isolate, but must still monitor for symptoms and take all necessary precautions:
if you’ve been exposed to someone from another household with symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result
The COVID-19 self-assessment tool can also tell you what to do next. Take it for yourself or on behalf of someone else and receive recommendations on what to do if you’ve been exposed.
Step Two: Get assessed for treatment or tested if you are eligible
Antiviral treatments are now available for those with symptoms and a positive test result (PCR or rapid antigen test) who are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. These treatments must be taken immediately within the first five to seven days (depending on the treatment) of symptom onset.
Find out more about antiviral treatment options or talk to your health care provider.
Rapid antigen testing
In addition to receiving rapid antigen tests from the federal government, Ontario is directly procuring additional tests to ensure sufficient provincial supply.
Rapid antigen tests continue to be available through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program for any organization that is open and has employees working on-site.
In addition, the Ontario government expanded access to free rapid antigen tests to the general public for at-home use. Since February 9, 2022, rapid antigen tests have been available for free through more than 3,100 participating grocery and pharmacy locations and targeted distribution to high priority communities through High Priority Community lead agencies and community-based primary care sites. Rapid tests in these locations will be available until at least July 2022.
If you have tested positive on a rapid antigen test, you don’t need a PCR test to confirm the result.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing
To ensure that resources are available to focus on the highest-risk settings, protecting our most vulnerable Ontarians and helping to keep critical infrastructure services running, publicly funded PCR or rapid molecular testing is available to individuals that meet at least one of the criteria below.
You are eligible for PCR testing if you have at least one COVID-19 symptomand you are any of the following:
a patient-facing health care worker
a patient in an emergency department, at the discretion of the treating clinician
a staff member, volunteer, resident, inpatient, essential care provider, or visitor in a highest risk setting
a home and community care worker
a student or staff at a Provincial Demonstration School or a hospital school
are at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 and would be eligible for COVID-19 antiviral treatment or other outpatient treatment (treatment outside hospital) following an assessment and positive test
someone who lives with a patient-facing health care worker and/or a worker in the highest risk settings
an outpatient who requires a diagnostic test for clinical management
a temporary foreign worker living in a congregate setting
underhoused or experiencing homelessness
pregnant
a first responder, including firefighters, police and paramedics
an elementary or secondary student or education staff who has received a PCR self-collection kit, if available through your school
directed by your local public health unit
Whether you have symptoms or not, you are eligible for PCR or rapid point-of-care molecular testing if you:
are from a First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community or self-identify as First Nation, Inuit or Métis or live with someone who does
are travelling into First Nation, Inuit or Métis communities for work
are being admitted or transferred to or from a hospital or congregate living setting
are a close contact in a confirmed or suspected outbreak in a highest risk setting, or other settings as directed by the local public health unit
are scheduled for a surgical procedure requiring general anesthetic in the next 24-48 hours
have written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager of OHIP or are a caregiver for someone who does
are in a hospital, long-term care, retirement home or other congregate living setting, as directed by public health units, provincial guidance or other directives
If you are eligible for a PCR or rapid molecular test, find a testing location near you.
If you have symptoms but are not eligible for testing, assume you have COVID-19 and follow the guidance outlined above.
Step Three: Inform others of your exposure
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive, tell your close contacts that they have been exposed. A close contact is anyone you were less than two metres away from for at least 15 minutes, or multiple shorter lengths of time, without personal protective equipment in the 48 hours before your symptoms began or your positive test result, whichever came first.
Informing your contact will help stop the spread of the virus. Give them the link to this webpage, ontario.ca/exposed, so they can protect themselves and their contacts. Your close contacts should follow the advice for being exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
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