Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19

Learn how to protect your workers when one of your employees has tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 Update

Public Health no longer conducts contact tracing for all cases of COVID-19. If an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 or been told that they have COVID-19, they will need to self-isolate, manage their symptoms, and let their close contacts know. However, contact tracing is important to help identify people who may have COVID-19 sooner and prevent the virus from spreading in the community. Notifying close contacts helps protect people in the community.

Yes. Two negative tests are required before an employee may be considered recovered. In addition, as with other viruses, COVID-19 may cause other complications that make it unsafe for the employee's own health to return to work even after the viral infection is cleared. Return to Work policies vary widely from company to company, but a doctor's note helps ensure the health and safety of the returning employee as well as other workers on site. The investigating health authority may impose additional protocols for return to work as well.

Employers are expected to follow s. 5.2 and 5.59 (general industry) or s. 6.33 to 6.40 (healthcare and similar sectors) in relation to COVID-19 exposure in their workplace.

People who public health has determined are infected with COVID-19 will be monitored by their local public health office, which will conduct contact tracing and provide them with advice as to treatment, self-isolation, and eventual return to work. Being considered to be infected with COVID-19 is a medical diagnosis, which is personal information. The employer will need to follow directions provided by public health, if a public health officer advises them that a person who is or has been present at the workplace is an infected person and requests that the employer report the contact information, if known, of each person who may have been exposed to the infected person, and consider their privacy law obligations.

Follow the instructions from the public health office.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency will advise if there are food product-specific requirements.

No product recalls have been announced in association with outbreaks in food facilities, as there have not been any reports of coronavirus being transmitted through food or food packaging.

Close contacts of a COVID-19 positive worker will need to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and self-isolate IF they are not fully immunized.

If your worker is fully vaccinated or has had COVID-19 in the last 90 days, they are not required to self-isolate and can continue to participate in routine activities, such as work or school, as long as they do not have any symptoms.

Those who are NOT fully vaccinated are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the day they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19, even if they do not have symptoms.

If your worker is fully vaccinated or has had COVID-19 in the last 90 days, they are not required to self-isolate and can continue to participate in routine activities, such as work or school, as long as they do not have any symptoms.

Those who are NOT fully vaccinated are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the day they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19, even if they do not have symptoms.