Health Checklist (Symptoms) and Precautions to Take in Advance of Summer 2022
Camp Northland will expect that all public health guidelines and recommendations are followed in advance of the summer. In particular, please note that all camper families will be expected to mitigate the risk of contracting and/or spreading Covid-19 by following all of the ‘Prevention for Individuals’ guidance as outlined below by Ontario Public Health and adhering to the balance of the recommendations to reduce the chances of contracting or spreading the virus leading up to the summer.
COVID-19 symptomsSymptoms of COVID-19 can vary from person to person. They may also vary in different age groups.
Some of the more commonly reported symptoms include:
● new or worsening cough
● shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
● temperature equal to or over 38°C
● feeling feverish
● chills
● fatigue or weakness
● muscle or body aches
● new loss of smell or taste
● headache
● gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting)
● feeling very unwell
Children tend to have abdominal symptoms and skin changes or rashes.
Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19.
You can infect others even if you aren’t showing symptomsThe virus can be spread to others from someone who’s infected but not showing symptoms. This includes people who:
● haven’t yet developed symptoms (pre-symptomatic)
● never develop symptoms (asymptomatic)
This kind of spread is known to happen among those who are in close contact or are in enclosed or crowded settings.
Think you may have been exposed to COVID-19? Follow the advice on how to quarantine at home when you may have been exposed but have no symptoms.
If you're travelling with or without symptoms, be aware of what’s expected of you when entering Canada.
● Quarantine instructions for travellers without symptoms of COVID-19 returning to Canada by air
● Isolation instructions for travellers with COVID-19 symptoms returning to Canada by air
● Quarantine instructions for travellers without symptoms of COVID-19 returning to Canada by land
● Isolation instructions for travellers with COVID-19 symptoms returning to Canada by land
If you’re sick or caring for someone who’s sickIf you’re experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19:
● contact your local public health authority and
● isolate yourself at home for 14 days to avoid spreading it to others
Most people with mild symptoms will recover on their own.
Adults and children who have mild COVID-19 symptoms are able to stay at home with a caregiver throughout their recovery without needing hospitalization. If you’re a caregiver, follow the advice on how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home.
Getting testedThe only way to confirm you have COVID-19 is through a laboratory test.
Take a self-assessment to find out if you should be tested.
If you're waiting for a test result, isolate at home, whether you have symptoms or not.
If you’ve tested positiveIf you've received a positive test result for COVID-19, you must isolate at home, whether you have symptoms or not. Remain isolated for up to 14 days or as directed by your local public health authority.
If you didn’t have symptoms when you got tested but develop them during your isolation period, you must restart your isolation time as directed by the local public health authority.
COVID Alert
Consider downloading and using the COVID Alert app. It can let people know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear.
If the app notifies you about potential exposure, you should follow the guidance from your local public health authority.
You can help slow the spread of infection and prevent future outbreaks.
Treating COVID-19If you’re concerned about your symptoms, self-monitor for any changes and consult your health care provider. They may recommend steps you can take to relieve your symptoms.
People who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and need breathing assistance may be treated with dexamethasone.
We’ve authorized certain products to treat COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Certain medications can also help to ease symptoms like fever and cough.
Learn more about treatments being developed for COVID-19.
Related links● Digital factsheets, printable posters and shareable videos on COVID-19 (multilingual products available)
● COVID-19: Social media and promotional resources for Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
How COVID-19 spreadsCOVID-19 spreads from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets and aerosols (smaller droplets) created when an infected person:
● talks
● sings
● shouts
● coughs
● sneezes
COVID-19 can also spread by touching something that has the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands. You can transmit COVID-19 before you start showing symptoms or without ever developing symptoms.
Quarantine and isolationWhen indicated, people should quarantine or isolate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others.
If you've travelled outside of Canada recently, advice for your mandatory quarantine or isolation period may be different.
Learn more about:
● How to quarantine at home when you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and have no symptoms
● How to isolate at home when you have or may have COVID-19
● Travel, testing, quarantine and borders
● Travel: Mandatory quarantine or isolation
Prevention for individualsVaccinationCOVID-19 vaccinationFlu vaccination
Personal preventive practicesAs efforts continue across Canada to increase overall vaccine coverage, public health measures remain the foundation of the pandemic response.
Community transmission of COVID-19 continues in many areas across Canada, and new variants of concern have been identified and are circulating. This is why it's even more important to strictly use multiple personal preventive practices at once, regardless of your vaccination status. This is called a layered approach and it helps protect yourself and others. Think ahead about the actions you can take to:
● stay healthy
● prevent the spread of COVID-19
Learn more about COVID-19 variants of concern.
Stay informed, be prepared and follow public health advice
Follow the advice of your local public health authority and adjust your behaviours and routines accordingly, including:
Think about what you'll do if you or someone in your household need to quarantine or isolate, or if you need to provide care. Plan for how you'll arrange backup caregivers if you're a caregiver of children or others. When possible, talk to your employer about working from home if you'll need to care for others.
Talk to your family, friends and neighbours about what you're doing to stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you live alone, make a plan with a neighbour to check on each other and run errands if either of you need to quarantine or isolate.
Think about the type of care you'd want if you became seriously ill. Talk to the people who will decide on your care if you're unable to. These discussions can help caregivers feel more comfortable and confident in making the decisions you'd want.
It's not always easy to begin these conversations. You can get started with advance care planning information and tools.
Learn more about:
Stay at home as much as possible, especially if you're at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19.
You should also stay at home and:
Minimize non-essential in-person interactions with people from outside your immediate household. If you have to interact with people you don't live with, make sure interactions are:
Your immediate household is only as safe as your least protected member. It puts the safety of your entire household at risk if you or someone you live with is:
Learn more about:Avoid closed spaces and crowded places
Avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation and crowded places when you're with people from outside of your immediate household.
You're at higher risk in settings where these factors overlap or involve activities such as:
Improve ventilation
Improve indoor air quality in shared spaces through proper ventilation. This is another way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Good ventilation exchanges indoor air for outdoor air, helping to reduce potentially infectious aerosols in the air indoors.
Learn more about improving indoor ventilation to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Wear a non-medical mask
Properly wear a non-medical mask that's well constructed and well fitting when:
Learn more about:Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
Maintaining good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette helps reduce the risk of becoming infected or spreading infection to others.
Hand hygiene means washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. For example, clean your hands:
Respiratory etiquette means, when coughing or sneezing:
It's not certain how long the COVID-19 virus survives on surfaces and objects, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Research shows that the virus may live on surfaces and objects for a few hours or up to several days depending on:
Health Canada has published a list of hard surface disinfectants that are likely to be effective for use against COVID-19. Use special precautions when cleaning with bleach to avoid serious incidents.
Paper mail or cardboard packages may be contaminated, but the risk of the virus spreading this way is low. You don't need to clean and disinfect mail or packages. However, after handling mail, you should avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and clean your hands immediately to protect yourself from COVID-19.
Learn more about:
Travellers may be at increased risk of getting COVID-19. To prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada.
If you must travel outside Canada:
Download COVID AlertJoin the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 with Canada's free COVID Alert app. It notifies you if someone you were near in the past 14 days tells the app they tested positive.
Prevention for communitiesAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada, governments and public health authorities will continue to:
● make public health decisions
● adjust restrictions depending on COVID-19 activity in their area
To prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, governments will continue to apply public health measures in communities and settings where people gather.
Canada is also supporting Indigenous communities in preparing for, monitoring and responding to COVID-19.
Planners, administrators and employers must work together to protect:
● customers
● employees
● the general public
● remote and isolated communities
● people at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19
● people at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19
Learn more about:
● Provincial and territorial resources for COVID-19
● COVID-19 and Indigenous communities
● People at a greater risk of exposure
● People at risk of more severe disease or outcomes
Group living settingsBusinesses and workplacesChild and youth settingsOutdoor spacesPublic transportationOrganizations that serve people experiencing homelessness
Risks of getting COVID-19The risk of getting COVID-19 is evolving daily and varies between and within communities. Overall, the risk to most people in Canada remains high.
This doesn't mean that everyone will get COVID-19. However, it means that there's already a significant impact on our health care system and transmission is occurring in many communities.
To protect yourself and others:
● be mindful of the risk of exposure to the virus
● consistently follow personal preventive practices and public health advice where you live
Learn more about COVID-19 data, including active cases, deaths and tests performed.
People at a greater risk of exposurePeople at risk of more severe disease or outcomesPregnant peopleCaring for someone at home who has or may have COVID-19Sexual healthGoing out or being social safely during COVID-19Gatherings, events and celebrationsSwimmingFoodAnimals
Related links● COVID-19: Frauds and scams
● EI sickness benefits
● COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders
● Digital factsheets, printable posters and shareable videos on COVID-19 (multilingual products available)
● COVID-19: Social media and promotional resources for Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
● COVID-19 Special Advisory Committee
Camp Northland will expect that all public health guidelines and recommendations are followed in advance of the summer. In particular, please note that all camper families will be expected to mitigate the risk of contracting and/or spreading Covid-19 by following all of the ‘Prevention for Individuals’ guidance as outlined below by Ontario Public Health and adhering to the balance of the recommendations to reduce the chances of contracting or spreading the virus leading up to the summer.
COVID-19 symptomsSymptoms of COVID-19 can vary from person to person. They may also vary in different age groups.
Some of the more commonly reported symptoms include:
● new or worsening cough
● shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
● temperature equal to or over 38°C
● feeling feverish
● chills
● fatigue or weakness
● muscle or body aches
● new loss of smell or taste
● headache
● gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting)
● feeling very unwell
Children tend to have abdominal symptoms and skin changes or rashes.
Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19.
You can infect others even if you aren’t showing symptomsThe virus can be spread to others from someone who’s infected but not showing symptoms. This includes people who:
● haven’t yet developed symptoms (pre-symptomatic)
● never develop symptoms (asymptomatic)
This kind of spread is known to happen among those who are in close contact or are in enclosed or crowded settings.
Think you may have been exposed to COVID-19? Follow the advice on how to quarantine at home when you may have been exposed but have no symptoms.
If you're travelling with or without symptoms, be aware of what’s expected of you when entering Canada.
● Quarantine instructions for travellers without symptoms of COVID-19 returning to Canada by air
● Isolation instructions for travellers with COVID-19 symptoms returning to Canada by air
● Quarantine instructions for travellers without symptoms of COVID-19 returning to Canada by land
● Isolation instructions for travellers with COVID-19 symptoms returning to Canada by land
If you’re sick or caring for someone who’s sickIf you’re experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19:
● contact your local public health authority and
● isolate yourself at home for 14 days to avoid spreading it to others
Most people with mild symptoms will recover on their own.
Adults and children who have mild COVID-19 symptoms are able to stay at home with a caregiver throughout their recovery without needing hospitalization. If you’re a caregiver, follow the advice on how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home.
Getting testedThe only way to confirm you have COVID-19 is through a laboratory test.
Take a self-assessment to find out if you should be tested.
If you're waiting for a test result, isolate at home, whether you have symptoms or not.
If you’ve tested positiveIf you've received a positive test result for COVID-19, you must isolate at home, whether you have symptoms or not. Remain isolated for up to 14 days or as directed by your local public health authority.
If you didn’t have symptoms when you got tested but develop them during your isolation period, you must restart your isolation time as directed by the local public health authority.
COVID Alert
Consider downloading and using the COVID Alert app. It can let people know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear.
If the app notifies you about potential exposure, you should follow the guidance from your local public health authority.
You can help slow the spread of infection and prevent future outbreaks.
Treating COVID-19If you’re concerned about your symptoms, self-monitor for any changes and consult your health care provider. They may recommend steps you can take to relieve your symptoms.
People who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and need breathing assistance may be treated with dexamethasone.
We’ve authorized certain products to treat COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Certain medications can also help to ease symptoms like fever and cough.
Learn more about treatments being developed for COVID-19.
Related links● Digital factsheets, printable posters and shareable videos on COVID-19 (multilingual products available)
● COVID-19: Social media and promotional resources for Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
How COVID-19 spreadsCOVID-19 spreads from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets and aerosols (smaller droplets) created when an infected person:
● talks
● sings
● shouts
● coughs
● sneezes
COVID-19 can also spread by touching something that has the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands. You can transmit COVID-19 before you start showing symptoms or without ever developing symptoms.
Quarantine and isolationWhen indicated, people should quarantine or isolate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others.
If you've travelled outside of Canada recently, advice for your mandatory quarantine or isolation period may be different.
Learn more about:
● How to quarantine at home when you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and have no symptoms
● How to isolate at home when you have or may have COVID-19
● Travel, testing, quarantine and borders
● Travel: Mandatory quarantine or isolation
Prevention for individualsVaccinationCOVID-19 vaccinationFlu vaccination
Personal preventive practicesAs efforts continue across Canada to increase overall vaccine coverage, public health measures remain the foundation of the pandemic response.
Community transmission of COVID-19 continues in many areas across Canada, and new variants of concern have been identified and are circulating. This is why it's even more important to strictly use multiple personal preventive practices at once, regardless of your vaccination status. This is called a layered approach and it helps protect yourself and others. Think ahead about the actions you can take to:
● stay healthy
● prevent the spread of COVID-19
Learn more about COVID-19 variants of concern.
Stay informed, be prepared and follow public health advice
Follow the advice of your local public health authority and adjust your behaviours and routines accordingly, including:
- following size limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings
- making non-essential trips out of your home or community
Think about what you'll do if you or someone in your household need to quarantine or isolate, or if you need to provide care. Plan for how you'll arrange backup caregivers if you're a caregiver of children or others. When possible, talk to your employer about working from home if you'll need to care for others.
Talk to your family, friends and neighbours about what you're doing to stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you live alone, make a plan with a neighbour to check on each other and run errands if either of you need to quarantine or isolate.
Think about the type of care you'd want if you became seriously ill. Talk to the people who will decide on your care if you're unable to. These discussions can help caregivers feel more comfortable and confident in making the decisions you'd want.
It's not always easy to begin these conversations. You can get started with advance care planning information and tools.
Learn more about:
- Provincial and territorial restrictions
- How to quarantine at home when you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and have no symptoms
- How to isolate at home when you have or may have COVID-19
- How to care for someone with COVID-19 at home
- Advance care planning in Canada
Stay at home as much as possible, especially if you're at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19.
You should also stay at home and:
- isolate away from others if:
- you have any symptom of COVID-19 (even if mild)
- you've been diagnosed with COVID-19
- you're awaiting a COVID-19 test result
- quarantine away from others if you've been exposed to someone who has or may have COVID-19
- put on a medical mask
- if unavailable, properly wear a well-constructed and well-fitting non-medical mask
- isolate yourself away from others as quickly as possible
- contact your health care provider or local public health authority and follow their advice
- People at risk of more severe disease or outcomes
- How to isolate at home when you have or may have COVID-19
- How to quarantine at home if you were exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with or may have COVID-19
- Medical masks
- Non-medical masks
- Provincial and territorial resources for COVID-19
Minimize non-essential in-person interactions with people from outside your immediate household. If you have to interact with people you don't live with, make sure interactions are:
- as few and as brief as possible
- from the greatest physical distance possible
Your immediate household is only as safe as your least protected member. It puts the safety of your entire household at risk if you or someone you live with is:
- at greater risk of being exposed to COVID-19
- inconsistently following personal preventive practices when outside your home
Learn more about:Avoid closed spaces and crowded places
Avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation and crowded places when you're with people from outside of your immediate household.
You're at higher risk in settings where these factors overlap or involve activities such as:
- singing
- shouting
- close-range conversations
- heavy breathing (like during exercise)
Improve ventilation
Improve indoor air quality in shared spaces through proper ventilation. This is another way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Good ventilation exchanges indoor air for outdoor air, helping to reduce potentially infectious aerosols in the air indoors.
Learn more about improving indoor ventilation to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Wear a non-medical mask
Properly wear a non-medical mask that's well constructed and well fitting when:
- you're in a shared space (indoors or outdoors) with people from outside your immediate household
- advised by your local public health authority
Learn more about:Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
Maintaining good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette helps reduce the risk of becoming infected or spreading infection to others.
Hand hygiene means washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. For example, clean your hands:
- before and after eating
- before and after touching your mask
- after using the washroom
- after touching frequently touched surfaces and objects
Respiratory etiquette means, when coughing or sneezing:
- cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand (even if wearing a mask)
- dispose of any tissues you've used as soon as possible in a plastic-lined waste container
- clean your hands immediately afterwards
- How to wash your hands properly to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (printable poster)
- Hand sanitizers authorized by Health Canada
It's not certain how long the COVID-19 virus survives on surfaces and objects, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Research shows that the virus may live on surfaces and objects for a few hours or up to several days depending on:
- the type of surface or object
- environmental factors such as humidity and temperature
Health Canada has published a list of hard surface disinfectants that are likely to be effective for use against COVID-19. Use special precautions when cleaning with bleach to avoid serious incidents.
Paper mail or cardboard packages may be contaminated, but the risk of the virus spreading this way is low. You don't need to clean and disinfect mail or packages. However, after handling mail, you should avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and clean your hands immediately to protect yourself from COVID-19.
Learn more about:
- COVID-19: Cleaning and disinfecting
- COVID-19: Cleaning products and bleach
- Hard-surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers
Travellers may be at increased risk of getting COVID-19. To prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada.
If you must travel outside Canada:
- refer to the COVID-19 travel, quarantine and borders information
- check to see if your destination has different public health measures in effect
Download COVID AlertJoin the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 with Canada's free COVID Alert app. It notifies you if someone you were near in the past 14 days tells the app they tested positive.
Prevention for communitiesAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada, governments and public health authorities will continue to:
● make public health decisions
● adjust restrictions depending on COVID-19 activity in their area
To prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, governments will continue to apply public health measures in communities and settings where people gather.
Canada is also supporting Indigenous communities in preparing for, monitoring and responding to COVID-19.
Planners, administrators and employers must work together to protect:
● customers
● employees
● the general public
● remote and isolated communities
● people at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19
● people at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19
Learn more about:
● Provincial and territorial resources for COVID-19
● COVID-19 and Indigenous communities
● People at a greater risk of exposure
● People at risk of more severe disease or outcomes
Group living settingsBusinesses and workplacesChild and youth settingsOutdoor spacesPublic transportationOrganizations that serve people experiencing homelessness
Risks of getting COVID-19The risk of getting COVID-19 is evolving daily and varies between and within communities. Overall, the risk to most people in Canada remains high.
This doesn't mean that everyone will get COVID-19. However, it means that there's already a significant impact on our health care system and transmission is occurring in many communities.
To protect yourself and others:
● be mindful of the risk of exposure to the virus
● consistently follow personal preventive practices and public health advice where you live
Learn more about COVID-19 data, including active cases, deaths and tests performed.
People at a greater risk of exposurePeople at risk of more severe disease or outcomesPregnant peopleCaring for someone at home who has or may have COVID-19Sexual healthGoing out or being social safely during COVID-19Gatherings, events and celebrationsSwimmingFoodAnimals
Related links● COVID-19: Frauds and scams
● EI sickness benefits
● COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders
● Digital factsheets, printable posters and shareable videos on COVID-19 (multilingual products available)
● COVID-19: Social media and promotional resources for Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
● COVID-19 Special Advisory Committee
