General public health measures and advice for all zones
General advice
Even if there is no longer a stay-at-home order in your area, staying home is still the best way to protect yourself and others. You are strongly advised to:
- stay home as much as possible
- avoid social gatherings
- limit close contacts to your household
- work from home if possible, and allow your employees to work from home if they can
- avoid travel except for essential reasons
Follow public health advice and:
- stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild
- wash your hands thoroughly and regularly
- cover your cough
- download the COVID Alert mobile app
- get tested if you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19
- get tested if you are advised of exposure by your local public health unit or through the COVID Alert mobile app
Close contact, face coverings, gatherings and events
Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with).
Wear a face covering or mask when:
- indoors, any time you are within two metres of someone outside your household
- if physical distancing cannot be maintained
- if wearing one is required
It is also recommended that you wear a face covering outdoors whenever face-to-face with someone outside of your household, especially if you are within two metres.
Wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing when meeting for permitted organized public events or social gatherings with individuals outside of your household.
Follow provincial and local restrictions on public and private gatherings.
Travel
Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. Avoid travel except for essential reasons.
Within Ontario
Travel between regions will greatly increase the potential for spikes in community spread and undo all the progress we have made.
You should avoid travelling between zones (for example, from Grey-Lockdown to any other zone, Red-Control to Orange-Restrict or Yellow-Protect to Green-Prevent), except for essential reasons.
Inter-provincial and international travel
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly advises that travel out of the province should be limited to essential purposes only.
Individuals and families who consider travelling to another province for essential reasons during the holidays should:
- consider the risk associated with travelling – this includes COVID-19 transmission in the other province, entry requirements (for example, quarantine) of some other provinces
- self-quarantine, or drastically reduce close contact with others 10 to 14 days before travelling and after returning home, to help lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19
- follow general public health advice, rules and regulations of Ontario and the other province
When you return to Canada from abroad, you must:
- self-isolate (quarantine) and stay home for 14 days whether you have symptoms or not
- get tested for COVID-19 on arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as part of our six-point plan to stop the spread of COVID-19 variants of concern