Coronavirus (COVID-19): protect yourself and others

Steps you can take to protect yourself and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your community.

Get vaccinated

Vaccines reduce the likelihood of severe illness. Visit Nova Scotia Health to find locations offering vaccines and how to contact them. COVID-19 vaccines are especially important for people higher risk of severe illness.

Stay home if you feel sick

Staying home when sick with a respiratory illness may help you rest and will help prevent spreading the infection to others.

If you feel sick, stay home and watch for COVID-19 symptoms. Symptoms can be different depending on the person and their age.

How to get tested

If you have symptoms, check to see if you should get tested for COVID-19. If you've tested positive for COVID-19, check here for more information.

Consider wearing a mask

Wearing a mask helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Learn more: COVID-19 mask use: advice for community settings

Protect people at higher risk

Some people, like older adults or those with health problems, are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. If you're sick, consider staying home, or wearing a mask and keeping your distance when you're out to help protect others.

Maintain healthy habits

Maintaining good hygiene helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections. This includes washing your hands often, coughing and sneezing into your elbow, and cleaning surfaces.

Wash your hands

Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Then dry your hands completely.

It's important to wash your hands:

  • after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
  • after visiting a public place or touching surfaces outside of your home
  • before and after preparing or eating food
  • after handling garbage, touching dirty laundry or using the bathroom
  • when your hands look dirty or feel dirty

If soap and water are not available, and your hands are not visibly dirty, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Use enough to cover the fronts and backs of both hands and between all your fingers. Rub your hands together until they feel dry.

Cough and sneeze etiquette

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Throw the used tissue in the garbage then wash your hands.

If you don't have a tissue, cough and sneeze into your elbow, not your hand.

Try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth. If you need to, wash your hands first.

Clean and disinfect regularly

Germs can live on surfaces for days. Clean and disinfect the things you touch a lot, like doorknobs, touchscreens and shared items. Always follow the directions on cleaning products to use them safely and correctly.

Keep your workplace safe

Employers and employees need to work together to keep the workplace healthy. Employers should put health and safety rules in place and workers should follow them to help prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

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