The best thing you can do to support your health and reduce the risk to the broader community is to get immunized. Vaccines are our best protection against COVID-19 and the safest and most effective way to protect against infection and severe illness.
COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing infection and severe disease. If you have not been immunized yet, book an immunization appointment as soon as possible.
Learn more at COVID-19 Vaccines.
Continuous masking is no longer required at AHS sites (including Continuing Care and contracted sites). AHS continues to respect the choice to voluntarily wear a mask in all areas and encourages those who want to wear a mask to continue to wear one.
In addition, patients are encouraged to have conversations with their care providers regarding masking, hand hygiene, or other factors that patients feel are important to their care.
We encourage visitors or designated family support persons who have had respiratory symptoms to wait to visit loved ones until 10 days after symptom onset, and all visitors and support persons are recommended to mask when visiting symptomatic patients or residents.
Staff are required to continue to use the Infection Prevention and Control Risk Assessment to make personal protective equipment (PPE) decisions and AHS Routine Practices to prevent the spread of infections.
Appropriate types of masks and PPE will continue to be available in all settings for patients and healthcare workers. For more information refer to the updated FAQ.
COVID-19 symptoms are similar to influenza and other respiratory illnesses and can range from mild to severe. People with mild symptoms can still spread COVID-19 to others.
Testing is recommended using an at-home rapid test if you have access to one. Rapid antigen tests are available for free at participating pharmacies. Find a pharmacy near you.
If you don’t have a test, test negative, or choose not to test yourself, you should stay home until you feel well enough to resume normal activities and you have been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. This is because your symptoms could be caused by a different virus that can be spread to other people.
Learn more about managing mild symptoms at home at COVID-19 Self-Care Guide.
