Sanitary measures | Public Health stresses the importance of self-isolation and getting vaccinated

Despite the virtual absence of health measures in Quebec, like almost everywhere in the world, certain rules of conduct remain in the province, some of which are strongly recommended to reduce the risk of transmission and infection.

Henri Ouellette-Vezina
The Press

The 10 day rule

“When you have a COVID, whether with the variants before or those of the current one, the symptoms last ten days”, recalled Thursday the national director of public health, the D^r Luc Boileau. As a general rule, you must first isolate yourself for five days, then for the next five, be “very careful with others”, by wearing the mask and reducing your contacts. “Take a rapid test, certainly, but it could be negative at the beginning and be positive afterwards”, also recalled the D^r Boileau, insisting on the importance of calculating one’s own risk, in the current context.

Wearing the mask, “a good idea”

In the government, there are no plans for the moment to reimpose the wearing of a compulsory mask in public transport, even if the scenario has been considered in certain internal discussions. For the most vulnerable, but also for anyone who would like to limit their chances of contracting the virus, Public Health recommends, however, wearing a mask, especially in closed indoor spaces. Even outdoors, in large, close groups, this can be relevant, the D^r Boileau, saying he has recorded “a lot of cases” of transmission outside.

To get vaccinated

On the vaccination side, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, once again called on Quebecers to get a booster dose; he will do it himself this Friday. To find your way around, Quebec published a table on the quebec.ca site on Thursday in order to present to the public “a decision tree which will indicate when is the best time to get your booster dose”. The authorities thus hope to relaunch the vaccination effort throughout the province.

Basic measurements

They are also not mandatory, but they remain: basic protective measures, such as hand washing, social distancing of two meters and respiratory etiquette, can still be applied every day, in situations where anyone would deem it necessary. While it can sometimes be difficult to do so in large crowds, Public Health suggests thinking about it more often in shops, restaurants or at the grocery store, for example, especially if you are not wearing a mask. .