Stores and services are reopening across the country, but all travellers arriving in Canada — or between some provinces — are still required to self-isolate for 14-days. If you have a visitor coming to stay, do you have to isolate with them. We’re answering that and other audience questions about COVID-19.
We’re breaking down what you need to know about the pandemic. Send us your questions via email at COVID@cbc.ca and we’ll answer as many as we can. We’ll publish a selection of answers every weekday on our website, and we’re also putting some of your questions to the experts on the air during The National and on CBC News Network. So far we’ve received more than 46,000 emails from all corners of the country.
My guest needs to self-isolate. Do I need to isolate, too?
Things may be reopening across the country, but all travellers arriving in Canada — or travellers between certain provinces — are still required to self-isolate for 14-days when they arrive.
If you have a traveller coming to stay with you, and they’re required to isolate, do you have to isolate with them? That’s what Mike P. and many other readers want to know.
First, it’s important to understand that Canada’s mandatory isolation rules are designed to protect people from travellers who have symptoms or are at risk of developing symptoms and the potential that they could infect others.
So, in most cases, you really shouldn’t be having people over if they’re expected to isolate.
“If a family is hosting visitors, then the visitors by definition are not isolating,” said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
But if there is no other choice, “you must all isolate, and you must accept the risk of cohabiting with that person during the isolation period,” he said.
Dr. Lisa Barrett, a professor at Dalhousie University’s medical school in Halifax and an infectious disease researcher, said hosts should behave as if their guests are positive.
“The whole point is that they could still be positive, but we don’t know it yet.”
That means you should act as if you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and also follow the isolation guidelines.
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