Today’s Northumberland noticed a sign on the door of a downtown business in Cobourg stating it was closed due to COVID.
The Claymore Pub & Table had a sign posted on their front door on Friday, March 18, 2022 stating, “We are closed due to COVID. We apologize for the inconvenience. We can’t wait to continue serving you. Thanks Management.”
Today’s Northumberland reached out to the HKPR District Health Unit for more information about the closure.
HKPR District Health Unit Communications Officer, Bill Eekhof stated, “currently, the Health Unit does not declare COVID-19 outbreaks in community settings like restaurants. This change was made in December when there was a surge of cases brought on by the more contagious Omicron variant and, at the time, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the community.”
“The Health Unit will only declare COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, shelters, group homes, hospitals and other congregate settings where there is a risk of ongoing exposure.”
Eekhof said the Health Unit encourages anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the community to follow certain advice around monitoring or isolating, depending on your situation. The simplest advice is to stay home if sick and use the online 1. COVID-19 Assessment Tool to see what next steps to take. If you use a Rapid Antigen Test and it gives you a positive test result, it is very likely you have COVID-19 and you should isolate and follow the appropriate guidelines.
The Ontario government website (www.ontario.ca/exposed) provides key information on what you must do if you test positive OR have been exposed to another person with COVID-19 symptoms or who tested positive for the virus. In general:
You must self-isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. The length of isolation will vary from at least five days or 10 days depending on your age and COVID-19 vaccination status. If you reach the end of your isolation period and have a fever and/or other symptoms, you must continue to isolate until your symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if the symptoms affect the digestive system) and you have no fever.
If you live with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19, you do not need to isolate if you: tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days; are 18+ and have received a COVID-19 booster dose; or are under age 18 with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. However, you must self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after exposure, wear a mask, avoid activities that involve removing a mask, not visit anyone at higher risk of illness, and not visit/work in highest-risk settings (like hospitals and long-term care).
If you live with a person who has COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for the test, and do not meet any of the above criteria (including being unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated), you must isolate for as long as the individual with COVID-19 symptoms does.
If you’ve been exposed to someone from another household who has COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for the virus, you must self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after exposure, wear a mask, avoid activities that involve removing a mask, not visit anyone at higher risk of illness, and not visit/work in highest-risk settings (like hospitals and long-term care).
If you work, attend, live or have been admitted to a high-risk setting (like hospital, long-term care/retirement home, or congregate living setting), you must notify your employer (or setting) that you’ve been exposed and avoid going there for 10 days (unless you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days and have no symptoms).
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
