Self isolation and self monitoring information

Learn more about COVID-19 symptoms.

If you feel unwell, it may not be COVID-19 and may be a common cold or influenza. Regardless, if you have cold and/or flu-like symptoms, even if mild, you must self-isolate right away and get tested.

If you are unsure whether to seek medical care or get tested:

• Use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool 
• Call your family doctor
• Visit an Urgent and Primary Care Centre,
• Call the Fraser Health Virtual Care team at 1-800-314-0999 between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week or call 8-1-1

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate for at least 10 days starting from when your symptoms began (first felt sick),
AND until your fever is gone without the use of anti-fever medications
AND until symptoms resolve (with exception of an isolated cough).

For example, if after 10 days you still have a fever, runny nose or feel tired, continue to self-isolate until your symptoms go away. After symptoms resolve, return to regular physical distancing.

Coughing may continue for several weeks, so a cough alone does not mean you need to continue to self-isolate for longer.

While waiting for your test results, you need to self-isolate, and monitor yourself daily for symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath using the BC self-assessment tool.

If you test negative and are self-isolating as a close contact to a person infected with COVID-19,  you must do both of these things:

• You must self-isolate for the full 10 days from when you were last in contact with COVID-19.

• You must monitor for signs of COVID-19 for 14 days from when you were last in contact with COVID-19.

If you test negative for COVID-19 and have symptoms, and are not self-isolating as a close contact to a person infected with COVID-19, continue to self-isolate until you feel better and no longer have a fever without the use of fever reducing medication.

Seek medical advice if your symptoms get worse.

If you are a close contact to a person who has COVID-19, including members living in the same household, public health will call you to further assess your COVID-19 history and contact to a person with COVID-19. 

Public Health will advise you if you need to self-monitor or self-isolate.

If you are a close contact to a person who had COVID-19 and develop symptoms, you should get tested. While awaiting your results, you must self-isolate.

For household contacts, who are not able to isolate from the person infected with COVID-19, your length of isolation may be extended based on ongoing contact with a person infected with COVID-19.

If you are advised to self-isolate as a close contact of a confirmed case, even with no symptoms, you should get tested seven days after exposure. Public health will also provide recommendations on when to get tested when they speak with you.

If you live with or are caring for someone who is a close contact of a person with COVID-19, you aren't required to self-isolate, but you should take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People who are close contacts have a much greater chance of developing COVID-19. Close contacts can become infectious and spread COVID-19 to you and people around them, even if they don’t show symptoms.

Travelers to Canada are required to follow current Government of Canada testing and quarantine guidelines. 

Learn about travel to and within Canada.

Learn more about travel to and within British Columbia.

• Do not go to work, school, or public areas including grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, gyms or places of worship while you are self-isolating.
• Avoid all contact with people who are at more risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19.
• You can exercise outside as long as you stay 2 metres away from others
• Walk or drive yourself to medical appointments or COVID-19 testing sites. If someone else must drive you, for example if you take taxi or rideshare, wear a mask, sit in the back seat farthest away from the driver and keep windows rolled down. If you must take public transit, wear a mask and keep at least 2 meters between yourself and others.

• Try to arrange for food and essential items to be delivered and dropped off at your door by friends or family, or use a delivery service.
• Let any home health care providers know that you are self-isolating so that they can take extra precautions to keep themselves healthy.

• Stay, sleep and eat in a separate room away from other people in your home.
• Use a separate bathroom if you have one. If you must share a bathroom, ensure it is thoroughly disinfected before someone else uses it and keep the bathroom well ventilated.
• If possible, have other people who live in your home stay somewhere else, especially if they have a chronic health condition or are older.
• Try not share items such as dishes, remote controls or electronic items with others in your home. If you must share, these items need to be disinfected before someone else uses them.
• High touch, shared surfaces such as door handles, faucets and light switches should be disinfected regularly.

• Avoid being in the same room as someone who is not infected with COVID-19.
• Other people should also wear a mask and stay 2 metres away when they are in the same room as you.
• Make sure that shared rooms have good airflow (for example, open windows for the entire time you are in a shared space).

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hand.
• Throw used tissues in a lined wastebasket, and wash your hands. Lining the wastebasket with a plastic bag makes waste disposal easier and safer. Wash your hands after emptying the wastebasket.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• Dry your hands with a paper towel, or with your own towel that no one else shares.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

• While you are self-isolating, keep connected with friends or family virtually or over the phone
• Visit our mental well-being page to learn more about available mental well-being support services.
• If you have non-health related questions about support services, call Service BC at 1-888-268-4319 (available 7:30am-8pm, 7 days a week)