Editor’s Note: Readers should be aware that Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) may apply for a court order to require a person to be taken into custody and be admitted or detained in a hospital for a medical examination. If convicted for failing to comply with this Section 22 Order, penalties can include a fine of up to $5,000 for every day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues.
Dr. Robert Cushman, Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU), has issued a Section 22 Order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act requiring all residents of Renfrew County and District (RCD), to immediately begin self-isolation if they:
- are a confirmed case or probable case of COVID-19;
- have signs and symptoms of COVID-19, have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting the results of their test;
- believe they now have one or more symptoms (even mild symptoms) of COVID-19; or
- are a close contact of a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or are a close contact of a person identified as a probable case of COVID-19.
Effective immediately
The Section 22 Order comes into effect today, Friday, October 30th, and is being issued to ensure that community transmission of COVID-19 is minimized or eliminated. For details on what a close contact is and for further instructions on self-isolation, visit the RCDHU Section 22 Order for Self-Isolation.
“It is clear, that COVID-19 is present in RCD, and as cases of COVID-19 continue to increase, there continues to be increased risk of outbreaks in settings such as schools, workplaces and long-term care and retirement homes, which impacts all residents living within RCD,” states Dr. Cushman.
He continues, “We cannot stress enough, how important it is, that everyone do their part to stay home if they are sick, avoid contact with people who are ill, limit their social activities, practice physical distancing (2 metres), wear a mask/face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained, wash their hands, use the COVID Alert App, and complete the COVID19 self-assessment tool or COVID-19 school and child care self-assessment tool daily if you go to work, school or daycare, to monitor for symptoms and proper guidance.”
For more information about COVID-19 visit RCDHU’s website at https://www.rcdhu.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-2/ or call 613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097.
Prince,A. RCDHU Communications(2020,Oct.30) RCDHU Releases Section 22 Order for Self-Isolation in Effect October 30 [media release]
