How long
There are three scenarios in which you may need to self-isolate or self-monitor. Click on the scenario that matches your situation to see how long to self-isolate or self-monitor.
Start your self-isolation right away if you have a positive test or symptoms of COVID-19. The length of time you will need to self-isolate depends on your situation and if you need to get tested.
What to do if you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19:
Follow the instructions on how to self-isolate.
- If your symptoms are severe (e.g., difficulty breathing), call 9-1-1 or visit the nearest emergency department.
- Remember the date when you first had symptoms. This will help figure out how long you need to self-isolate.
Figure out whether you need to get tested by visiting our
testing page.
If testing is not recommended:
- Self-isolate until you feel well enough to return to regular activities and no longer have fever (without the use of medicines that reduce fever-like Tylenol or Advil).
- If you feel worse, call 8-1-1 or your medical care provider.
If testing is recommended:
- Find the nearest
testing centre.
- Walk or drive yourself if you can or have someone drive you. Wear a mask and keep car windows down if possible. See instructions on How to Self-Isolate.
- Continue to self-isolate until you get your test results and follow instructions from public health.
Self-isolate for the length of time recommended by public health.
If you tested positive:
- If fully vaccinated, self-isolate for at least 5 days since the start of your symptoms. Wear a mask even in settings where a mask isn’t required and avoid higher risk settings, such as long term care facilities and gatherings, for another 5 days after ending isolation.
- If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, self-isolate for at least 10 days since the start of your symptoms.
- If you don’t feel better after the 5 or 10 days, keep self-isolating until you feel better and your fever is gone (without taking medicine that reduces fever).
- If you feel worse, call 8-1-1 or your medical care provider.
If you tested negative:
- Self-isolate until your symptoms improve and you feel well enough to return to regular activities.
- If you had a fever, stay home until the fever is gone (without taking medicine that reduces fever).
-
Close contacts: If you were identified as a close contact and need to self-isolate, you still need to complete your self-isolation.
If identified as a close contact, you will need to:
- Self-monitor for symptoms for 10 days after being exposed to a person with COVID-19.
- Those who are not fully vaccinated also need to self-isolate for 10 days.
If you need to self-isolate, it is very important to complete your entire self-isolation period, even if your COVID-19 test is negative. You may still be able to spread COVID-19 during this time, even if you don’t have symptoms.
You may be told by public health if you are a close contact. In some situations, contacts may be told directly by the COVID-19 case. Caregivers, parents, household members, roommates, intimate partners, and co-workers can be close contacts.
See the page on
Close Contacts for more information.
If you are fully vaccinated or have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 3 months, you need to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and avoid non-essential high-risk settings for 10 days. You do not need to self-isolate.
If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you need to self-monitor and self-isolate for 10 days since you last had contact with a person with COVID-19.
Fully vaccinated means you received both doses of a 2-dose series (e.g. AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) or it has been more than 14 days since you received a single dose of a 1-dose series (e.g. Janssen/ Johnson and Johnson).
The length of self-isolation
could be extended if another person in your household tests positive while you are already self-isolating.
For example, you start self-isolating for 10 days because you were a close contact. On day 6 of your self-isolation, a person inside your household gets sick with COVID-19. You are now a close contact of this person and you must self-isolate for another 10 days starting from this most recent exposure. This means that your self-isolation period is now a total of 16 days from when you originally started.
Travellers entering Canada must follow federal testing and quarantine requirements.
If you are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated
you are not exempt and need to follow the mandatory
quarantine requirements and self-isolate for 14 days or longer upon arrival. This includes if you tested negative for COVID-19.
Follow the
instructions provided by the Government of Canada.
If you are an eligible fully vaccinated traveller check the Government of Canada’s Quarantine or Isolation guidance to see if you need to quarantine or self-isolate after returning to Canada. Learn more.
Some people are not required to quarantine or complete a test upon entering Canada. This includes eligible fully vaccinated travellers, some children and dependents, and others. Check the list to understand if you need to quarantine.
Visit the Government of Canada's website for more details about:
Completing the ArriveCAN application before entering Canada and submitting a daily COVID-19 Self-Assessment.