{"id":107470,"date":"2021-12-30T15:19:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-30T20:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=107470"},"modified":"2021-12-30T15:22:45","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T20:22:45","slug":"covid-19-testing-and-isolation-guidelines-updated-school-start-delayed-to-jan-5-ministry-of-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/covid-19-testing-and-isolation-guidelines-updated-school-start-delayed-to-jan-5-ministry-of-health\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 testing and isolation guidelines updated, school start delayed to Jan. 5: Ministry of Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is taking further action to provide additional protection to high-risk settings, and continue to safeguard hospitals and ICU capacity as the province continues to rapidly accelerate its booster dose rollout. Based on the latest evidence and Ontario\u2019s high rate of vaccination, the province is also updating testing and isolation guidelines to protect our most vulnerable and maintain the stability of critical workforces, including frontline health-care workers, first responders and critical infrastructure like energy and food and supply chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs cases continue to rise at a rapid rate and evidence on the Omicron variant evolves, our response needs to evolve alongside other jurisdictions to ensure those living and working in our highest-risk settings are protected,\u201d said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOntario\u2019s cautious approach and high vaccination rates have helped keep hospital and intensive care unit capacity stable to date. Focusing our testing and case and contact management on high-risk settings will help limit transmission, maintain critical workforces, and ensure timely access to PCR testing where it is needed the most. Anyone who is sick should protect their community by staying home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Updated testing and isolation guidelines in response to Omicron<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario is updating its COVID-19 testing and isolation guidelines. These updates follow recent changes in other jurisdictions in Canada and the United Kingdom to ensure publicly funded testing and case and contact management resources are available for the highest-risk settings and to protect the most vulnerable and help keep critical services running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effective December 31, publicly funded PCR testing will be available only for high-risk individuals who are symptomatic and\/or are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including for the purposes of confirming a COVID-19 diagnosis to begin treatment, and workers and residents in the highest risk settings, as well as vulnerable populations. Members of the general public with mild symptoms are asked not to seek testing. A full list of eligible individuals can be found here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, most individuals with a positive result from a rapid antigen test will no longer be required
or encouraged to get a confirmatory PCR or rapid molecular test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ontario is also changing the required isolation period based on growing evidence that generally
healthy people with COVID-19 are most infectious in the two days before and three days after
symptoms develop. Individuals with COVID-19 who are vaccinated, as well as children under 12,
will be required to isolate for five days following the onset of symptoms. Their household contacts
are also required to isolate with them. These individuals can end isolation after five days if their
symptoms are improved for at least 24 hours and all public health and safety measures, such as masking and physical distancing, are followed. Non-household contacts are required to self-monitor for ten days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or immunocompromised will be required to
isolate for 10 days. While individuals who work or live in high-risk health care settings are
recommended to return to work after 10 days from their last exposure or symptom onset or from
their date of diagnosis, to ensure sufficient staffing levels workers will have the opportunity to return
to work after isolating for seven days with negative PCR or rapid antigen test results, which will be
provided by the province through the health care setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 20, a total of 49.6 million rapid antigen tests have been deployed since the
beginning of the pandemic, with the vast majority (approximately 41 million) deployed to priority
sectors, including hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes and schools. In addition to
Ontario directly procuring additional rapid tests where possible, the province is continuing to urge
the federal government to make more rapid tests available to provinces as quickly as possible. The
province is also evaluating the potential role of anti-body testing, including an analysis of how it is
used in other jurisdictions, to provide another tool in the fight against COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return to class following the winter break<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, Ontario is putting in place additional health
and safety measures to create more layers of protection to keep schools as safe as possible for inperson learning, which is critical to the positive mental health and academic success of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children\u2019s Health Coalition \u2013 representing Ontario\u2019s children\u2019s hospitals, mental health agencies and rehabilitation centres \u2013 has emphasized that in-person education is critical to the mental health, development and well-being of children and youth. Students are set to return to schools on January 5, 2022 for school boards previously scheduled to return on January 3 to provide schools additional time to deploy the following measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n