Community-based measures are actions taken by planners, administrators, and employers to protect groups, employees and the population. The measures outlined below are relevant to all non-health care settings and aim to reduce transmission within the community settings such as workplaces, schools, public transportation, communal living settings, spiritual and cultural settings, community centres and other places where people gather such as shopping centres, camps and entertainment facilities. These measures will always be layered with personal protective measures described above.

Guidance developed for acute health settings is available and can be applied to any setting where healthcare is being provided.

Many of these community-based actions require extensive preparation and engagement across sectors, and secondary consequences (e.g. financial implications, interruptions in social supports, reduction in services, societal disruptions) may be anticipated and should be considered in planning. The implementation of some public health measures may be more disruptive (e.g., school closures) and their use should be based on a risk assessment in collaboration with local authorities, which may result in jurisdictional variations across Canada. These measures are usually associated with pandemics of moderate to high impact given their societal and economic costs. As much as possible, a harmonized pan-Canadian approach should be taken. It is recognized that some individuals, groups, or communities may adopt or decline to adopt measures that are inconsistent with public health advice or are based on cultural norms (e.g., healthy individuals wearing masks). PHAs should reinforce the rationale for the recommendations, avoid stigmatization of these groups or communities, and plan communications and stakeholder outreach accordingly.