Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says reverting back to stricter rules for rotational workers coming back to the province was a temporary measure taken once COVID variants came into play.

For some time, rotational workers could avail of a COVID-19 test after five to seven days of isolation. If their test came back negative, they would be able to have a modified isolation.

Now rotational workers are required to isolate for the full 14 days after arriving in the province.

The decision to tighten measures was made in response to variants of concern across the country. Dr. Fitzgerald says they felt they needed to be conservative and try to reduce the risk in general.

Dr. Fitzgerald says discussions are currently ongoing around how to approach isolation requirements for rotational workers.

She says Public Health needs to strike a balance between keeping the entire population of the province safe, while also trying to help maintain the well-being of rotational workers and their families.