(Files by Brendan Pawliw-MyPGNow)
With our region continuing to experience relatively high rates of COVID 19 activity, Northern Health contact tracing teams continue to modify their self-isolation requirements.
In December, changes to the process resulted in significant improvements to the timeline for follow up with newly lab-confirmed cases, and with people who tested positive in high-priority groups.
The shift in focus was directed towards high-priority settings and circumstances, such as known clusters and outbreaks, health care workers, school communities, industrial projects, and Indigenous communities.
In addition, residents who test positive will now receive a single call from Public Health, where they will be given instructions including the date their self-isolation will end.
A second call, confirming the end of self-isolation, will no longer be made.
Residents who receive a call with a positive test result, should self-isolate immediately, along with those in their household, and advise close contacts they should self-monitor for symptoms.