Starting April 1, changes are on the way for Alberta when it comes to COVID isolation and quarantine as the time-based suggestion for COVID-19 isolation is being removed. The province is recommending that individuals stay at home until they feel better.
Here are the new recommendations by the provincial government:
If you have respiratory virus symptoms or test positive for any respiratory illness you should stay home until your symptoms have improved and you feel better, to minimize the risk of transmission.
It is recommended that you wear a mask in indoor settings for a total of 10 days from when your symptoms started, especially when around individuals who are high risk (for example, when visiting a continuing care facility or hospital).
Hospitalized patients or residents in congregate care facilities or living sites should follow isolation recommendations directed by AHS Infection Prevention and Control and/or the facility.
For healthcare workers, quarantine and isolation are also changing. People working in an AHS or Covenant Health setting should follow the AHS or Covenant Health Attending Work Directive.
If a COVID-19 rapid test results in a positive result, other healthcare professionals should stay at home for a minimum of five days after the onset of symptoms, or until their symptoms are improving and they haven't had a fever for 24 hours without using a fever-reducing medication, whichever is longer.
It is also stated that they should wear a mask after returning to work in indoor work settings for a total of 10 days from the start of symptoms.
To date, there have been 629,648 cases of COVID in Alberta.