Close contacts of COVID-19 cases don't need to self-isolate: BCCDC
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has changed its guidelines on self-isolation and managing COVID-19 at home as the Omicron variant of concern continues to surge in the province.
On Wednesday, the BCCDC updated its guidelines, which included changes to self-isolation directions.
The BCCDC says that close contacts of COVID-19 cases no longer have to self-isolate, regardless of vaccination status.
However, people who are close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases should still monitor for symptoms, as should everyone in B.C., says the BCCDC. The organization adds that anyone who feels unwell should stay at home.
Other changes to the province's self-isolation guidelines include details on the length of self-isolation.
The BCCDC says that anyone who is fully vaccinated, or under the age of 18, who tests positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate at home for five days – and until symptoms improve and you no longer have a fever.
After self-isolating for five days, the BCCDC says you should avoid non-essential visits to high-risk settings, such as care homes, for another five days.
If you are unvaccinated and 18 years of age or older, you must self-isolate for 10 days and until your symptoms improve and you no longer have a fever, says the BCCDC.
"These changes are a step toward enabling British Columbians to self-manage their illness and will help guide their actions to limit the spread of illness in our communities," said the BCCDC in a statement Thursday.
"Public health guidance always strives to strike a balance between preventing infection and limiting the harms caused by preventing people from participation in societal activities like working, going to school and socializing."
The BCCDC says the updated guidance comes as the "highly-transmissible" Omicron variant sweeps through the province, requiring a dynamic response to public health guidelines.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control expects further changes to public health guidelines to take place in the coming weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
A child killer legally changed his name in B.C. The province is trying to stop that from happening again
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
CN Railway suspends service on some networks due to wildfires
Canadian National (CN) Railway suspended service on its network between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in B.C. and north of High Level, Alta., due to wildfires, the company said on Monday.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.