Isolating at Home

•  COVID is very infectious

• A person with COVID must isolate at home

• Isolating reduces the spread of COVID and helps keep your community safer

• The community Supported Isolation and Quarantine team can support you and your family while you are required to stay home.

Thank you for staying at home. We know this can be a worrying time and our team wants to make isolating as easy as possible for you with the advice below:

What to do if you or your whānau needs healthcare

Most people who get COVID have a mild illness and can recover from this at home. Some people become more unwell and need to
be seen by a doctor. A few people will become unwell enough to need care in hospital. Things can change quickly so it is important
to know how to get care when you need it.

The public health team will check in with you every day while you are in isolation at home. You can contact them if you need help to
access healthcare on 0800 155 172.

Ways you can access healthcare while in isolation:

• Contact your GP (family doctor) for advice just like you would with other illnesses. Your GP is the best person to ask if you need help
  with health problems you had before you got COVID.
• People in COVID isolation in Northland can see a doctor 24/7 for free at https://www.emergencyconsult.co.nz/

i.   Click “Log In”
ii.  Enter email: admin1@emergencyconsult.co.nz     Password: Covid01     
iii. If that doesn’t work phone 021 249 6674 for assistance with logging in or to arrange a telephone consult

• Having COVID can be very worrying and people often want to talk to someone about this. Free counselling is available by texting or
  calling 1737.
• If you need to see a doctor in person, please call ahead and let them know you are isolating with COVID so they can prepare and
  keep themselves and other patients safe.
• In an emergency, call 111 for an ambulance and tell them you or your family have COVID and are isolating.

Whānau and others in the house must stay at home

Everyone in the house also has to stay in isolation, even if they have been vaccinated.

People living in your house may also later develop COVID, so they have to stay home for at least 10 days after you (and any others
with COVID) have been released from isolation. The public health team will advise your family about this and when the people in your
home need to be tested.

Isolating at home

People with COVID must isolate until they are no longer infectious and can pass COVID to other people. You will be infectious for at
least 10 days from when your symptoms started (or when you tested positive if you have no symptoms).

People who have a more severe illness are infectious for longer. You must stay in isolation until the public health team releases you
from isolation. For most people with COVID this is 10-14 days and depends on the course of your illness and the symptoms you have.

What does isolation at home mean?

• You must stay at home until public health release you from isolation
• You can only leave home to be tested or for medical care such as seeing a doctor. You must not leave home to be vaccinated, to go
  to the shops, work, school or to visit anyone.
• As much as possible you should try to stay by yourself in a room and away from the other people in the house except to use the
  bathroom or shower.
• You can spend time outside, but you must not leave your property and you must not spend any time close to people who
  are not isolating at home with you.
• No one can visit your house and come inside. People can drop off food and other things you need at your closed front door. Please
  do not have doorway conversations.

What supports are available to help you and your whānau isolate?

• The community Supported Isolation and Quarantine team are there to support you and your family while you are required
  to stay home. They can help with things like food and other groceries, pet care, and picking up prescriptions.
• Many people are eligible for financial support or COVID leave while they are required to isolate, including people who are selfemployed.
  Visit the Work and Income website for urgent financial support and ongoing needs. You can apply for a main benefit online and check your eligibility for food assistance.
• You can also use the COVID financial support tool on the Unite Against COVID website to see what support is available to you.
• For more information on what is available go to the COVID-19 website.
  

KEEPING your whānau and community SAFE

We recommend to think carefully about what information you share with others. This includes on online platforms and social media.
From experience of others isolating at home it’s better to share less.

To keep you and the community safe and secure while you are isolating St John healthcare services and the Police will be told you
are isolating at home.

After you are released from isolation

Some people who have had COVID continue to have symptoms or health problems that can continue for weeks or months after they
are released. This is known as long-COVID. Click here to find out more. 

Please speak to your GP or call Healthline if you have any ongoing symptoms or concerns.

If you are not already fully vaccinated, vaccination after COVID is strongly recommended to give you the best protection in the
future. You should wait for four weeks after being released before being vaccinated.