Protect Yourself and Others

Wash your hands often with soap & water or hand sanitizer

Our hands are one of the most common spreaders of germs, both from others to us and us to others. Keeping your hands clean, either by washing them with soap and water or by using hand sanitizer regularly and around key moments, helps reduce the number of germs and prevents spread of disease

Practice healthy respiratory etiquette

When we cough or sneeze into the air, germs can be spread in our immediate area in droplets that settle and contaminate surfaces. By coughing or sneezing into our hands, this can spread these germs to our hands then on to anything we touch.

This is why it’s best to cover your mouth and nose with your elbow, tissue, or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze as it limits the release of these germ-containing droplets. Don’t forget to dispose of tissues properly and wash handkerchiefs regularly

Screening & Self-assessment

• Keep an eye on your own health to see if you’re developing any new symptoms of respiratory or stomach illnesses
• For example, have you started feeling feverish, developed a new cough or runny nose, have an unexplained headache or feeling of tiredness, and/or new bouts of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea?
• If you have, consider limiting your social interactions with others, as these might be the first signs that you’re getting sick
• If you have any symptoms of illness or tested positive for COVID-19, take this self-assessment to find out what you should do. You can also take it on behalf of a student, child, or someone else. You will get a recommendation on what to do next.

Staying Home When Sick

• If you are sick, it’s best to stay home to prevent spreading the illness to others, except to seek testing or medical care if required
• You should stay home until all the following apply to you:
  • Your symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if you had nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea)
  • You do not have a fever
  • You do not develop any additional symptoms
• When your symptoms are improving and you no longer need to stay at home, doing the following for 10 days after your symptoms started can provide extra protection against the spread germs:
  • Wear a tight-fitting, well-constructed mask in all public settings
  • Avoid non-essential activities where you need to take off your mask (for example, dining out)
  • Avoid non-essential visits to anyone who is at higher-risk of illness (for example, older adults)
  • Avoid non-essential visits to higher risk settings in the community such as hospitals and long-term care homes

• It is important to get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot when you are eligible and stay up to date with routine immunizations. Vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect you and those around you from infectious disease. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu can help protect you from serious illness, hospitalization, and death
• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations by receiving all recommended doses. To get a COVID-19 vaccine, check clinic locations in Hamilton.
• To find out where you can get a flu shot in Hamilton, check clinic locations.

Hamiltonians may consider wearing tight-fitting, well-constructed mask in indoor public settings, especially anyone at higher risk of severe infection. Some settings, like long-term care homes or retirement homes, have specific masking policies that should be followed.

• Learn more about COVID-19 guidance for long-term care homes
• Learn more about COVID-19 guidance for retirement homes

Please note that residents of long-term care homes or retirement homes are not required to wear masks.

Temporarily Taking Off Your Mask

If you are is a setting that requires masking, you should be able to take it off temporarily:

• To receive services that require you to take it off (for example, at the dentist or doctor’s office)
• To engage in an athletic or fitness activity
• To eat or drink
• As necessary for health and safety purposes

Exceptions to Masking

In settings where masking is advised or is required, there are some situations when you should not need to wear one. These include:

• Children – Wearing a mask is not recommended for children younger than two years old
• Health and Accommodations – You should not need to provide medical documentation to support any of the exceptions below
  • Have a medical condition that inhibits your ability to wear a face covering
  • Are unable to put on or remove your face covering without help from someone else
  • Receiving accommodations according to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 or the Human Rights Code.

Poor ventilation in indoor spaces is linked to increased transmission of respiratory infections, particularly if the space is small. Ventilation should be improved whenever possible by increasing the amount of fresh air that flows into a space and by removing virus particles from the air

To improve the ventilation of indoor spaces, you can:

• Open windows and doors regularly when possible. If weather, safety or air quality are a concern, open doors or windows for a small amount or for a few minutes at a time.
• Use portable air cleaners/filterers
• Use ceiling fans or portable fans positioned away from people and near open windows and doors to bring in fresh air, weather permitting

To reduce your personal risk, you can also consider wearing a well-fitted mask, limiting the amount of time spent in crowded indoor spaces, and keeping your distance from others

Cleaning is the physical removal of dirt and germs from a surface by wiping, scrubbing, or washing. Disinfecting on the other hand kills germs using a chemical solution.

• Some products can only be used for cleaning, some products can only be used for disinfecting, while some can be used for both. Make sure you read the instructions to understand how best to use the product

When cleaning and disinfecting, it’s important to focus on high-touch surfaces and objects in your home, especially when they’re visibly dirty or when someone in your home is sick. These are areas where germs are likely to settle

• High-touch surfaces and objects in your home may include:
  • Toys, toilets, light switches, laundry hampers, phones, television remotes, & other electronics, door handles, doorknobs, refrigerators, dishwashers, cabinets, & faucets

Depending on the product you’re using, you may need to:

• Wear protective equipment like gloves, safety glasses or goggles
• If you’re using gloves, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after you remove them. If you don’t have any soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 70% alcohol
• Open a window or use fans to move the air around. Some products need to be used in well-ventilated areas
• Make sure the product is on the object or surface for enough time for it to do its job
• Properly store and dispose of the product when you’re finished