How households should self-isolate when someone is symptomatic, waiting for COVID-19 results
New Winnipeg metro region guidelines for washroom use, care of children when someone is self-isolating
With tighter COVID-19 restrictions comes tighter self-isolation guidelines for people living in Winnipeg and the surrounding area.
As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, the Winnipeg metropolitan region was put under additional COVID-19 restrictions in an attempt to curb community transmission of the illness. But a new restriction regarding self-isolation was later announced Monday afternoon.
"Anyone who is symptomatic, or has a household member who is symptomatic, should all self-isolate pending [COVID-19 test] results," said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, at the COVID-19 briefing.
Individuals who are showing symptoms must stay in their own room and use their own bathroom — if possible. They are not to use common areas such as a living room or kitchen, Roussin said.
If for some reason the symptomatic person has to enter an area where other people are, or will be, they must wear a mask.
If the test results come back negative, then all asymptomatic people in the home no longer need to self-isolate.
WATCH | Roussin introduces new self-isolation rules to Winnipeg health region:
"This is a significant change. This is a change in the short term. This is a change that we need to make now to really stop the transmission of this virus," he said.
"So it means no one else goes to school, no one goes to work until that test result is back…. We know that this will lead to a lot of absenteeism. Again, it's in keeping with our message that people should be staying home for the most part."
Some people are excluded from the new self-isolation regulation, however, Roussin said, namely health-care workers in order to "maintain the capacity in our health-care system."
First responders would also be exempt, he said. Other essential workers could be exempted too, such as people in the department of families working for group homes, but generally the rule will be for an entire household to self-isolate until COVID-19 test results come back.
How to properly self-isolate
Self-isolating individuals should use their own dedicated washroom. If that cannot happen, then the isolated individual must wear a mask to the washroom, flush with the lid down and wash their hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water for at least 15 seconds. The area should be disinfected after use.
The province has alternate isolation accommodations available for people who are unable to block off a space to self-isolate within their home.
According to a self-isolation guide issued by the provincial government, people who live in a condo or apartment building must stay in their suite. If a person has a private balcony, they're allowed to use it as long as it is two metres away from their neighbour's balcony.
WATCH | Roussin on what it means to self-isolate:
People living alone, or with someone who is self-isolating, must have groceries and other supplies dropped off at their door.
A person self-isolating should cancel or notify any service providers — home care, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social worker and the like — who regularly come into the home. The person or agency will explain the best course of action during the isolation period, the guide says.
How to care for someone who is self-isolating
In the event that a child or dependent is symptomatic or contracts COVID-19, then only one person should be a caregiver, said Roussin.
The person providing care should not be someone who is at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, such as people who are 60 years old or older, immunocompromised or have underlying health issues, according to a guide issued by the province.
Caregivers can lower their risk of getting sick by washing their hands, wearing a mask and other personal protective equipment including eye protection. Eyeglasses are not enough, the guide says.
When handling the person's laundry, the caregiver should wear disposable gloves and a mask. Dirty laundry should be put in a laundry bag or basket lined with a plastic bag, the guide said, adding not to shake it.
Use regular laundry soap and set the washing machine to "sanitize or hot," then thoroughly dry the clothes. Clothing and linens can be washed together, the guide said.
Reducing household cases
The new rules are meant to cut down on additional cases within households.
"What we don't want is everyone in that house to be exposed unnecessarily to somebody who should be self-isolating — and we see that again and again," he said.
Once a person tests positive for COVID-19, then investigators need to track down who may have been a close contact with that person — someone who was less than two metres away from the case for more than 15 minutes.
Close contacts are then advised to self-isolate so if they become symptomatic and test positive for COVID-19, they would then have zero additional contacts, explained Roussin.
"What we find is that the manner and mechanism of self-isolated isolation is not achieving that," he said. "Many household members are also becoming cases, because that person [who tested positive] is unable to successfully self-isolate from others."
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