Officials at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit are trying to clear up any confusion around self-isolation measures when it comes to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Wajid Ahmed, is stressing the need for residents to contact health officials first, if they believe they may have the coronavirus.
On Tuesday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens pointed to the case of a local couple as a way on how to deal with the coronavirus.
A Chinese couple, who lives in a Windsor building, recently came back from China and they weren't feeling well. Dilkens said the couple posted a notice on their door, in English and Chinese, indicating that they are self-isolating themselves for the next two weeks. They had not been tested for the coronavirus.
Ahmed says that in a case like this you must contact the health unit, that way professional can determine the best way to handle the situation.
"We are asking every individual if they have a travel history to please contact us, the health unit, especially if they're coming in from a country that have active cases of COVID-19," he says. "Anyone who's coming over here, first message is they should contact public health to get the right advice, what they need to do."
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed. (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
Ahmed says they agree with self-isolating, if you're symptomatic and if you're advised to by public health.
But he says just putting a sign on your door is not recommended.
"It just breaks a lot of confidentiality issues, and we should be respecting everyone's confidentiality," says Ahmed. "We don't want to give out that impression that this is the place where someone is self-isolating, it gives the wrong message."
There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex.
CLICK HERE for the latest information on the coronavirus being provided by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
With files from Rob Hindi