Exposures, contact tracing and self-isolation

From the College Executive Team

With the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases it is inevitable that many employees and students will come in close contact with someone with COVID-19. With this in mind, we all need to be familiar with the updated directions and recommendations from the BCCDC about contact tracing. It is important to note that a close contact is generally someone who has been near a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes when health and safety measures were not in place or were insufficient. Close contacts do not generally include classrooms, if you are not sure, please check with OHS.

Please stay home if you are sick.

If you are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to be tested, unless you are asked to by public health.

Following a close contact exposure, the BCCDC recommends that if you are fully vaccinated or had COVID-19 in the last 90 days:

• You are not required to self-isolate.
• You can continue to participate in routine activities, such as work or school, as long as you do not have any symptoms.

If you are not fully vaccinated and did not have COVID-19 in the last 90 days:

• You are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the day you last had contact with the person who has COVID-19, even if you do not have any symptoms. 

Employees required to self-isolate, and who are able, can work from home with the approval of their Dean or Director. Otherwise, employees can access appropriate leave provisions of their applicable collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment such as vacation or unpaid leave. Please visit the general section of the Employee FAQs for information on what happens with pay if an employee is required to self-isolate but does not have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Should the employee have COVID-19 symptoms or become symptomatic over the course of their self-isolation, sick leave provisions of the applicable collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment would apply.

Please check camosun.ca/covid19 for updates as well as the latest Employee FAQs.