COVID-19 Public Health Guidance

COVID-19 will remain with us for the foreseeable future. The province has moved from population health measures and restrictions to where individuals assess their own risk based on a number of factors, including their own health and vaccine status and that of others and the type of activity or event they are attending. Even if some measures are no longer mandated, individuals may choose to continue following certain measures to protect themselves and others.

Principles

• Keeping COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date is the best defense against COVID-19. With a full series of vaccines, including boosters, most people will be well protected against COVID-19, meaning the risk of serious illness is much lower.
• Keeping COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date does not change your risk of exposure to the virus in the community.
• The more individuals in PEI who are immunized, the more protection we have and the better we protect our health system.
• The potential for severe illness from COVID-19 and other respiratory illness increases with age and health conditions that affect your immune system.
• The virus causing COVID-19 is known to spread through droplets and aerosols (more information here), which represent a risk particularly to people who are in:
  • enclosed spaces
  • indoor situations where people are in close proximity
• Masks and physical distancing are effective protective mechanisms against COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses that spread quickly when people are in crowded indoor spaces, especially if you are not fully vaccinated, immune compromised or have underlying medical conditions.
• In combination with other public health measures (e.g. physical distancing, wearing a well-fitting mask, etc.), improving ventilation can contribute to reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in indoor settings by reducing the number of infectious particles in the air.
• Cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces helps to prevent the spread of illnesses.

Guidance for individuals

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19, including boosters, when you are eligible.
• Stay home when you are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Get tested if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (even if the symptoms are mild).
• If you are positive for COVID-19, follow isolation requirements
• If you are identified as a close contact, follow guidance for close contacts
• Wash your hands often especially after touching your face, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, using the restroom or coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces in public places.
• When sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth, and wash your hands after.
• Wearing a mask is recommended:
  • Indoors in public places.
  • Outdoors in public spaces if unable to maintain distancing from others, regardless of your vaccination status.
  • When caring for someone with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
• Continue to follow mask requirements in high risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care, and community care homes.
  • Exemptions to mandatory masks include, but are not limited to: children under the age of two years; children under the age of five years who will not wear a mask; valid medical reasons (such as active breathing problems); and anyone who cannot remove a mask without assistance.
  • See Wearing Masks in the Community for more guidance.
• Smaller, less crowded, gatherings pose less risk compared to larger, more crowded gatherings.
• There is lower risk of transmission of COVID-19 outdoors than indoors.
• Wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing are effective protective measures, especially if you are immune compromised, have underlying medical conditions, or are not fully vaccinated.
• Assess the risk to yourself and others - including vaccine status, age and health, illness in the community, and setting and activities - before participating in activities
• Vulnerable individuals should exercise caution and minimize high-risk exposures situations.
• If individuals are not comfortable to attend gatherings, it is important to be supportive of one another’s decisions.
• To improve ventilation:
  • Open windows and doors as much as possible if it can be done safely
  • If your home has a heat or energy recovery system, run it continuously and use the highest efficiency particulate filter designed for the unit
• Continue to clean high touch surfaces in the home regularly and use self-clean opportunities in public places (e.g. hand sanitizer when entering a store and wipes for shopping cart handles).

Guidance for businesses, services, and organizations

    All businesses, services, and organizations:

• Should encourage employees, volunteers, and participants to be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
• When organizing activities, consider:
  • There is lower risk of transmission of COVID-19 outdoors than indoors.
  • Smaller gatherings pose less risk compared to large gatherings.
  • Less crowded gatherings pose less risk compared to crowded gatherings.
• May consider maintaining processes to promote distancing and limit crowding among employees, participants and volunteers, such as arranging space to maximize distancing.  Some businesses and organizations may choose to continue remote work options for employees.
• May consider maintaining options for individuals to access goods and services remotely or via contactless pick up and/or drop off.
• Continue to follow mask requirements in high risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care, and community care homes.
• May consider developing their own policies on masking for staff, participants and volunteers, such as in indoor settings where distancing is not able to be maintained.
• May consider continuing to provide hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) or hand washing facilities at entrances and exits and near high touch surfaces, such as elevators, doors and check outs. There should be signage reminding employees, patrons and participants of the importance of proper hand washing/sanitization and respiratory hygiene.
• Should continue to conduct regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails, doorknobs, light switches,  and other equipment. In addition, cleaning and disinfection supplies can be made accessible to customers and others to self-clean surfaces and equipment.
• May consider maintaining capacity to offer virtual and alternative options for meetings, gatherings, work and delivery of goods and services.  Examples of alternative practices include: curb-side or contactless pick-up, drive-through service, work from home, online and teleconference options for staff, and hosting meetings virtually or outdoors.
• Should consider ways to support employees, participants and volunteers to stay home when ill.
• May consider tips for improving ventilation, including:
  • Open windows and doors as much as possible if it can be done safely
  • In buildings with mechanical ventilation, ensure the system is operational and appropriate for the size and layout of the indoor space, and set the ventilation rate to the highest setting possible
  • Portable air purifiers are not a replacement for good ventilation, but are considered an additional measure in situations where increasing natural or mechanical ventilation is not an option. 
  • For more information on improving ventilation in specific indoor settings, please visit Health Canada’s website: COVID-19: Improving Indoor Ventilation.