Important Health Announcement for our Community

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Dear community members,

Our team was contacted by Ottawa Public Health (OPH) about a confirmed case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) who came for worship at Masjid ar-Rahmah on Friday, Sep 11th between 12:30 and 1:30 PM. 
 
We recognize that this information may cause anxiety. We want to assure you that OPH is actively working to identify and inform all individuals who were at highest risk of exposure. Members of our community who have come in close contact with the confirmed case will be contacted directly by an OPH Public Health Nurse to receive individual guidance and specific instructions on self-isolating for 14 days. Please ensure you follow these guidelines. 
 
If you experience symptoms, please call OPH (613-580-2424, extension 74224) and indicate that you are a member of Masjid ar-Rahmah.


If you came to Masjid ar-Rahmah on Friday, Sep 11th between 12:30 and 1:30 PM and are NOT directly contacted by OPH, this means their investigation did NOT show that you had close contact with the confirmed case. However, they are recommending that you actively self-monitor for 14 days starting from Sep. 11th.

Recommendations for self-monitoring include measuring your temperature daily and watching for the following symptoms:

  • Fever >38 degrees
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Sore Throat
  • Chills
  • Muscle Pain
  • Nasal Congestion
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
  • Joint pain
  • Decreased appetite

If you develop symptoms, begin self-isolating immediately, including distancing from others in your household as best as possible. Please call OPH at 613-580-2424, extension 74224. When leaving a voicemail, please provide your phone number, spell your name and indicate that you are a member of Masjid ar-Rahmah.

It is important to understand that COVID-19 is spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes, which travel a limited distance before falling to the ground. You can minimize your risks by:

  • Washing your hands often with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available;
  • Avoiding hand-to-face contact – particularly contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth – unless you have just washed your hands;
  • Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeves, not your hands
  • Staying home if you are ill; and
  • Practicing physical distancing, by taking steps to limit the number of people you come into close contact with. More information on what physical distancing includes is found on our webpage here. 
Our team at AMA will continue to do its part to keep Masjid ar-Rahmah a safe place for our community members. At this moment in time there will be no disruption to our daily prayers and Jumuah service. Furthermore, our team of volunteers will continue to remain diligent in following guidelines set out by Ottawa Public Health which include, but are not limited to, ensuring no one enters the masjid without the required PPE (ie. face mask) and reminding community members to practice social distancing.
 
For factual, credible and up-to-date information on COVID-19, we encourage community members to visit and refer people to the following sources:

Thank you for taking the time to read this important message.  

Best regards,

The AMA Team

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