COVID-19 Pandemic Commonly Asked Questions
A provincial declaration of emergency and stay-at-home order is in effect. Stay home except for essential travel and follow restrictions and public health measures that are in place. Learn how this effects City Facilities and Services.
In an effort to provide accurate and timely information to our residents, the following Commonly Asked Questions will be updated regularly as the COVID-19 pandemic situation continues to unfold.
In the City of Brantford, the Brant County Health Unit is the lead public health agency responsible for managing COVID-19 pandemic cases locally and providing information updates regarding case numbers. The Brant Community Health System is the lead health agency for COVID-19 testing. Guidance and protocols for testing are established by the provincial Ministry of Health.
For a breakdown of current cases in Ontario and Canada, please visit Public Health Canada.
FAQs about the declaration of emergency
| Why is the province issuing a stay-at-home order while also permitting curb-side pickup? |
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This question assumes every single person in Ontario has easy access to online shopping or that there is a big-box retailer in their community. This isn’t the case for many Ontarians who live in rural and remote areas. We’ve learned a lot over the past year responding to this pandemic, including the fact that what may be essential to someone in Timmins and how they buy that item may not be essential to someone in downtown Toronto, who can easily buy items online for delivery. The Government of Ontario determining what retailers may be considered essential risks cutting off many Ontarians who don’t live in Toronto or an urban centre from access to necessary goods. |
| What is an essential item? |
| The Government of Ontario cannot determine what is essential for every person in this province, each with their own unique circumstances and regional considerations. Legally defining what is essential risks cutting people off from goods that may legitimately be necessary for their health, well-being and safety. |
| What is an essential trip? |
| The Government of Ontario cannot determine what is essential for every person in this province, each with their own unique circumstances and regional considerations. That said, we have provided broad categories that people should consider before leaving their home: food, health-care services, including medication, exercise or work, where someone’s job cannot be done at home. |
| What is essential work? |
| The stay-at-home order does not define what work or jobs are essential. Rather, it now mandates that anyone who can work from home must now do so. For example, someone working in retail obviously can’t do their job from home and would be permitted to go to work. |
| Why hasn’t the province defined who can or should work from home? |
| The Government of Ontario cannot review tens of millions of job descriptions to determine who can work from home. As such, we are relying on the best judgment and common sense of employers to determine who can do so. If an employee believes they should be working from home, they can contact the Ministry of Labour to file a health and safety complaint. |
| Why can people still gather in groups of five outdoors? |
| The outdoor gathering limit of five is in recognition of the fact that some people live alone and may require the company or support of others for their mental and physical well-being. Anyone gathering outside is expected to adhere to physical distancing measures and are now strongly urged to wear a mask. |
| Can people leave home to exercise? |
| Yes, exercise is considered an essential reason for leaving your home. |
| Can someone living alone still join up with another household? |
| Yes, they can exclusively join one other household. This is to support their mental health and well-being, as well as to ensure those requiring support continue to have access to essential caregivers. |
| Is there a time limit for how long people can leave their homes? |
| No. That said, we’re asking Ontarians to use their best judgement when leaving their home for essential reasons. They should limit the number of stores they go to and spend as little time outside of their home as possible. |
| Is there a limit on the number of times someone can leave their home in a day? |
| No. That said, we’re asking Ontarians to use their best judgement when leaving their home for essential reasons. They should limit the number of stores they go to and spend as little time outside of their home as possible. |
| Can people travel to their cottages or secondary residences? |
| Right now, we are asking people to stay home and only leave their home for essential purposes, which could include emergency maintenance of a secondary residence. In the spirit of the stay-at-home order, at this time we are not recommending intra-provincial travel. |
Commonly Ask Questions about COVID-19
| How can I get tested for COVID-19 and how is the test done? |
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever & new/worsening cough), first complete a self-assessment at https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus to determine if a clinical assessment is necessary. If the self-assessment indicates a clinical assessment is necessary contact:
If you are unable or unsure if you need to see a family physician, please call the BCHS COVID-19 hotline at 519-751-5818 to determine if you need an assessment. For more information regarding symptoms and treatment of coronavirus COVID-19, please visit the BCHU coronavirus website page. |
| How do I access my COVID-19 test results? |
| The Brant Health Community System encourages residents to access a new user-friendly online portal where you can easily access your COVID-19 lab test results. If you do not have a valid Ontario Health Card or still have a red and white card, please call BCHU at 519-753-4937 and press '1'. |
| How has the Brant Community Healthcare System prepared for COVID-19? |
| BCHS has worked diligently to prepare the organization to respond to patients who present with COVID-19 and other emergencies. 14 negative pressure rooms, including an operating room are ready. The laboratory is working to become accredited to be able to complete local COVID-19 testing which will allow for faster results. Safety measures for staff and physicians, and processes to manage limited medical supplies have been implemented. Staff are being provided the necessary educational tools to provide the right care to patients with COVID-19. To learn more about how BCHS is preparing for COVID-19, you can listen to Episode 12 of Hospital Insider: The Podcast. |
| How many cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Brantford and Brant? |
| The number of lab confirmed, positive cases in the City of Brantford and County of Brant combined is updated daily at 11 a.m. on the Brant County Health Unit website. |
| Do our frontline healthcare workers have enough personal protective equipment? |
The Brant Community Healthcare System is grateful to the many generous members of our community who have stepped forward with offers of personal protective equipment (PPE) for our staff and physicians. Our staff are safe and currently have the right PPE to do their jobs but COVID-19 demands can change quickly. BCHS kindly requests that anyone who would like to donate PPE, or supply PPE by other means, please contact BCHS first. We are working swiftly to ensure donations that we require and can accept, meet national standards for PPE use in a health care setting, and align this equipment to our current products. Anyone wishing to donate or supply products are asked to email foundation@bchsys.org or call BCHS at 519-751-5510 to provide:
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| How are COVID-19 municipal and provincial orders being enforced? |
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Contraventions of the Emergency Management and Civil Protections Act (EMPCA) and/or City of Brantford By-law violations will result in the attendance of a City By-law Officer or Brant County Health Unit Inspection Officer, supported by a member of Brantford Police Service or Ontario Provincial Police (if warranted).
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| What is the difference between mandatory isolation and quarantine? |
| The Government of Canada has put an Emergency Order in place under the Quarantine Act that applies to all travellers arriving in Canada from outside of the country, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. TRAVELLERS WITH SYMPTOMS - Mandatory Isolation If you have recently returned to Canada and have symptoms, you must self-isolate. This is mandatory. If required, immediate medical attention will be provided upon arrival in Canada. Mandatory isolation means you MUST:
If you have symptoms but do not have a place to isolate, you will be required to isolate for 14 days in a facility designated by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.Violating any instructions provided to you when you entered Canada could lead up to six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines. TRAVELLERS WITHOUT SYMPTOMS - Mandatory Quarantine (mandatory self-isolation) If you have recently returned to Canada and have no symptoms, you must quarantine (self-isolate) yourself. This is mandatory. You are at risk of developing symptoms and infecting others. This means you MUST:
You can take public transportation to get to your place of self-isolation after you arrive in Canada, but you must not stop on the way home and practice physical (social) distancing of being 6 ft apart from others at all times. Violating any instructions provided to your when you entered Canada could lead up to six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines. If you develop symptoms within 14 days:
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| How do I report a violation of COVID-19 orders in place? |
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To report a violation of COVID-19 provincial or municipal orders in Brantford, please use our online form or call the City’s Customer Contact Centre at 519-759-4150. |
| How do I report a business that is operating without meeting criteria of the provincial reopening framework? |
If you have concerns that a business or service is still open when it should not be, please call the Brant County Health Unit at 519-753-4937 and press '1', if your complaint involves any of the following businesses/services:
For any other type of business, please use our online form or call the City’s Customer Contact Centre at 519-759-4150. For more information about what the City can enforce in priority order, please visit: Brantford.ca/covid19Violations. Business Questions Companies and workplaces that have questions about the temporary closure of all non-essential workplaces related order can call Ontario’s Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659. Employee Concerns If you have COVID-19 concerns or questions about your workplace or construction site, please call the Ministry of Labour’s Health and Safety Contact Centre at 1-877-202-0008. |
| Can an exception be made to the new 10 person unsupervised private gathering restriction to celebrate holidays? |
| No. It is still very important that gathering restriction orders, currently 10 people outside your household, remain in place to protect your health and safety and others. Please limit any gatherings to 10 people who live outside your household. Even with these new limits in place, it's still very important to continue to follow all other suggestions for staying safe and protecting yourself and others including, regularly washing your hands, wearing a cloth face-covering in public where physical distancing is a challenge, and self-isolating if have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or if you feel ill. |
| What City facilities are closed and what programs are cancelled or modified? |
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Please visit the City’s Closures page for a complete up to date list of City of Brantford closures, cancellations, and programming and services modifications during the City’s ongoing response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. |
| How do I register my recreational vehicle for the purposes of self-isolating or quarantine during the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic? |
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You may now register your recreational vehicle for the purposes of self-isolating or quarantine using our online form. |
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