Renfrew County & District Health Unit (RCDHU) issued the following news release on Feb.26:
Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) is introducing a new text notification system to notify contacts of COVID-19 exposures. Renfrew County and District (RCD) residents may receive a standard text message from a Public Health Nurse (PHN) at RCDHU or a virtual assistant notifying them that they may have recently been exposed to COVID-19.
Please note that RCDHU will never ask for a sin card or banking information. The text alert from the virtual assistant will always be from a 1-226 number, however, there may be times a PHN texts a client from a 613 number. The message clients receive will vary depending on whether they have been deemed to be a low risk or high risk contact, or a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19. All clients will be redirected to an Ontario Government survey that will ask them about symptoms and provide further guidance. This survey will also ask for confirmation that they are contacting the correct person.
Accordingly, RCDHU wants to remind residents that the Section 22 order for Self-Isolation requires all residents of 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.
It is imperative that everyone do their part to stay home if they are sick, avoid contact with people who are ill, 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 COVID-19 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, visit RCDHU’s website at https://www.rcdhu.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-2/ or call 613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097.
Renfrew County & District Health Unit(2021,Feb.26) RCDHU Introduces New Text Notification System for COVID-19 Exposures [media release]