COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus)

Symptoms range from mild (like the flu and other common respiratory infections) to severe. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• fever 
• new cough
• shortness of breath 
• muscle aches
• fatigue
• headache
• sore throat
• runny nose or sneezing
• nasal congestion
• hoarse voice
• difficulty swallowing
• diarrhea

Symptoms in young children may be non-specific (e.g., lethargy, poor feeding).

If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use the Ontario COVID-19 online self-assessment (external link) to help determine how to seek further care.

At this time, there is no specific treatment for COVID-19 and no vaccine. Most people with COVID-19 will recover on their own by:

• drinking plenty of fluids;
• getting rest and sleeping as much as possible; and
• using a humidifier or a hot shower to help with a sore throat or cough.

Health Canada states that there is no definitive evidence that ibuprofen worsens COVID-19 symptoms. Please consult Health Canada’s website(external link).

Consumption of methanol will not protect against COVID-19. Methanol is not meant for human consumption and may lead to adverse effects to human health. Methanol should never be ingested, should not come in contact with skin and vapors should not be inhaled.

Assessment is currently recommended for those with symptoms of COVID-19 (for example, fever of 37.8 degrees or higher, new cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat) and:

• have been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19; 
• have travelled outside of Canada within 14 days of symptom onset; 
• have been in close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who has been to an impacted area; 
• are living, working or providing care in a retirement home, long-term care home or other institutional setting; 
• are a health care worker, other care provider, first responder or essential worker; 
• are living in same household as a health care worker, other care provider or first responder; 
• are a patient requiring frequent contact with the health care system (e.g., chemotherapy/cancer treatment, dialysis, pre-/post-transplant, pregnant person); or
• have been instructed by Halton Region Public Health to contact them.

• at an Assessment Centre (you must have an appointment):
  • Residents of Oakville, Milton or Halton Hills: Call 905-203-7963 to book an appointment at a Halton Healthcare Assessment Centre.
  • Residents of Burlington: Call 905-632-3737, ext. 6550 to book an appointment at Joseph Brant Hospital Assessment Centre.
• by contacting their primary care provider.
• by calling 311 to speak with Halton Region Public Health.

To be tested for COVID-19, you must first be assessed by a health care provider (see previous section for more information).

Not everyone with symptoms requires testing. Based on guidance from the Ministry of Health, testing is currently being prioritized for those who live or work in high-risk settings such as healthcare or institutional settings in order to prevent outbreaks and large-scale exposures.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 but have not been tested, you must:

• self-isolate for 14 days from the date of symptom onset; and
• inform anyone you had close contact with to self-isolate for 14 days from the last day they had contact with you. This applies to people who live in your household and to anyone else you had close contact with while you were sick and not self-isolating, up to 48 hours before you were sick.

The Government of Ontario has increased Public Health Units’ capacity to stop COVID-19 (external link), including a new user-friendly online portal (external link) for the public to easily access their COVID-19 lab test results, both positive and negative.

• If you have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting lab test results, you are encouraged to check the provincial online portal (external link) for your results.
  • NOTE: If you have accessed your results from the portal and you see “unavailable", this means that your sample was sent to another lab for testing and those results cannot be accessed via the online portal at this time. Until you receive confirmed results, please continue to self-isolate. The Ministry of Health is currently working to resolve this issue.
• Halton Region Public Health will only contact residents or follow up with those who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Serologic testing detects antibodies that are produced in response to a viral infection of COVID-19. Currently, Health Canada and the World Health Organization have not approved serological testing for widespread use. Research into serological testing is ongoing in Canada and worldwide.

Currently, in Canada, laboratories are using nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) to diagnose COVID-19. This test detects genetic material from the COVID-19 virus.

Self-isolate if you:

• are over the age of 70 years
• have a compromised immune system
• have underlying medical conditions
• have no symptoms and:
  • have travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days; 
  • have come in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19; or
  • have been asked to do so by Public Health

If you develop symptoms, even if mild, stay home, avoid other people and contact 311 as soon as possible.

• As part of the Declaration of Emergency in Ontario, all public schools, EarlyON programs, licensed child care centres and private schools will remain closed until further notice.
• Halton Region Public Health has cancelled all school health programs for the 2019-2020 school year. This includes:
  • cancellation of suspensions and enforcement related to the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) for children born in 2010-2012;
  • vaccine education sessions for parents and guardians; and
  • immunization and oral health clinics.
• School health promotion activities performed by public health nurses will continue to be provided to teachers as they implement online learning programs. 

• The following groups of people should be prioritized for COVID-19 assessment: individuals with acute respiratory illness (regardless of travel history) and/or with symptoms of COVID-19 (fever of 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat) who:
  • have been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19; 
  • have travelled outside of Canada within 14 days of symptom onset; 
  • have been in close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who has been to an impacted area; 
  • are living, working or providing care in a retirement home, long-term care home, or other institutional setting; 
  • are a health care worker, other care provider, first responder or essential worker; 
  • are living in same household as a health care worker, other care provider or first responder; 
  • are a patient requiring frequent contact with the health care system (e.g., chemotherapy/cancer treatment, dialysis, pre-/post-transplant, pregnant person); or
  • have been instructed by Halton Region Public Health to contact them.
• Asymptomatic individuals will not be tested at this time.
• Please report all individuals who are tested to Halton Region Public Health by calling 311.

• It is now mandatory for all travellers returning to Canada to self-isolate for 14-days from return. If symptoms develop, they are to remain in isolation for 14 days from when symptoms began. 
  • These individuals will be tested based on prioritization criteria established by the Ministry of Health.
• Returning travelers who are considered “essential workers” at their place of employment may be able to return to work earlier and should consult their employer’s policy for further direction regarding returning to work. They should continue to follow self-isolation guidelines outside of work.

Refer to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website (external link) for more information on the requirements of travellers returning to Canada

• If you have access to testing supplies (nasopharyngeal swabs) AND appropriate personal protective equipment for droplet precautions (gown, gloves, surgical mask, eye protection), you can perform COVID-19 testing in your clinic.
• Prior to testing, review the COVID-19 Testing Approach for Assessment Centres and Clinicians algorithm to ensure testing is appropriate.
• N95 respirators are NOT required for COVID-19 testing.
• If you are testing someone in your clinic, you must report this to Halton Region Public Health by calling 311.
• If you are not able to perform COVID-19 testing at your clinic, refer patients who live in Oakville, Milton or Halton Hills to call 905-203-7963 to book an appointment at a Halton Healthcare Assessment Centre. Patients who live in Burlington can call 311 to speak to Halton Region Public Health for direction on assessment.

• Please consult the COVID-19 memo from March 19, 2020 (PDF file) to find a list of alternative specimen collection kits that can be used to collect specimens for COVID-19 testing.
• ​If you have any extra swabs in your office, please consider supporting COVID-19 testing by sharing them with the assessment centre at your local hospital.

• On March 19, 2020, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a directive to health-care providers to stop or reduce all non-essential and elective services to minimal levels, until further notice.
• Physicians are not required to close their offices and services entirely. They can continue to provide medical care that is urgent or essential for patient’s needs. 
• Timely immunization is considered essential care and should be provided to patients as per the Ontario Immunization Schedule, especially for children up to 2 years of age. 
• Please see Considerations for In-Person Visits by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. 

• The Province is implementing provincial rate and billing code changes to allow for virtual care for patients, including physician services, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and dietetics.
• Please see the memo and guidance document attached to the March 20, 2020 Physician Update.

For the most recent physician communications from the Halton Region Medical Officer of Health on COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus), please visit our Information for Physicians page.

Essential businesses and services are encouraged to put the following measures into place to safeguard the wellbeing of employees and volunteers:

• Post signage to alert workers of any signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• Display posters promoting hand-washing and respiratory hygiene
• Make hand sanitizers available throughout your facility.
• Increase the frequency of environmental cleaning for all common areas and frequently touched surfaces. 
• Ensure that cleaning supplies are available for employees to clean and disinfect their workspaces.
• Ask employees and volunteers to self-isolate if they meet the criteria under the Self-isolation tab (above).
• Encourage staff to:
  • work from home, if possible;
  • participate in virtual meetings rather than meeting in person;
  • screen themselves daily before coming to work using Ontario's online self-assessment tool; and
  • follow the health tips under the Protect yourself and others tab.

• Non-essential businesses will remain closed until May 12, 2020 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
• Refer to the Government of Ontario’s website for a listing of essential workplaces (external link).
• Where possible, businesses are encouraged to provide staff with necessary accommodations to work from home so operations can continue.
• Businesses can call the Stop the Spread Information Line at 1-888-444-3659 with any questions about impacts to your business or employment.

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging all aspects of our lives and as an employer, there are steps you can take to support your employee's health and well-being during this difficult time.

• Develop a contingency or business continuity plan which will outline how your business will operate if a significant number of employees, contractors or other suppliers cannot come to your place of business.
• Provide regular and consistent communication with your employees regarding steps your workplace is taking to prepare for/adapt to the pandemic including their expected roles.
• Offer flexible work options (including working remotely) to staff where possible.
• Consider reviewing sick leave policies for employees who are ill.
• Promote your Employee Assistance Program if your employees need additional support.
• Promote local mental health supports in Halton (see: For residents, Mental health supports tab).

Employers can visit the Public Health Agency of Canada's Preventing COVID-19 in the workplace: Employers, employees and essential service workers page for further information.

If an employee is confirmed positive for COVID-19, the following steps should occur:

• Employers are not required to report their employees to Halton Region Public Health. Confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 are reported by health care providers and laboratories to public health departments.  
• The employee will be asked to inform their employer that they have been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Halton Region Public Health will contact the employee to provide guidance, identify close contacts and perform a risk assessment for all exposures that may have occurred in the workplace. 
• Halton Region Public Health will work closely with the employee who tested positive to identify all close contacts at work while the case was infectious including: clients, vendors or third-parties. Public Health may contact the employer to assist with identifying close contacts in the workplace as required. Individuals that have had close contact (spent extensive time within 2-metre radius) with the employee may need to take additional precautions, such as self-monitoring for symptoms or self-isolation.
• If close contacts have been identified and the employee does not have their contact information, the employer will be asked to provide contact information for these individuals. Halton Region Public Health will follow-up with each of these individuals accordingly.
• In some situations, employers may be directed by Public Health to notify all staff who worked during the exposure dates of their potential risk of infection as directed by Public Health. When notifying staff, employers must maintain confidentiality and not identify the name of the employee who was confirmed positive for COVID-19. In this communication, employers should consdier explaining the actions that will be taken to protect the ongoing health and safety of employees (for example, cleaning and disinfection of the workplace).

• To learn about available resources and supports for businesses, please visit our Small Business Centre, Go Global or Invest Halton pages.
• To learn about business supports available through the Province, visit Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19.
• To find out about financial supports for businesses available through the Federal Government, visit the Resources for Businesses webpage.

• The Ontario Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit for Ontario Businesses.
• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit for Ontario Businesses - Business Continuity Plan for Pandemics.
• Workplace Safety & Prevention Services Business Pandemic Preparedness Checklist.