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About 8,000 people per day can get tested for COVID-19 in BC, but testing is only available to those with symptoms.
Health officials stress importance of COVID-19 testing
Published 4:26 PDT, Wed August 19, 2020
Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
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Testing for COVID-19 is an important part of BC’s pandemic response, said health authorities today.
BC’s testing capacity in health regions and labs is increasing. Tests show who is positive for the virus, as well as indicating how much it may have spread among close contacts when an outbreak or community cluster occurs.
As the number of new cases increases, demand for tests also goes up. New assessment and testing centres have been added in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions, as well as extending the hours of service in some existing locations. BC now has the capacity to complete about 8,000 tests per day.
Anyone with symptoms can be tested—but the test is not recommended to those who do not have symptoms, said Health Minister Adrian Dix and deputy provincial health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson. If you do develop symptoms, no matter how mild, your first step is to distance yourself from others and contact 811 or your health-care provider to arrange for an assessment.
If public health has advised you to self-isolate because you have been exposed to COVID-19, please follow their advice. Even if you have no symptoms, a negative test does not mean you can shorten the period of self-isolation.
While those who are younger are less likely to face severe illness, it is easy to inadvertently pass the virus on to someone who may be only a few years older, but much more vulnerable.
Dix and Gustafson also announced 68 new cases today for a total of 4,745 in BC. There are 798 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 2,452 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and 3,749 people who tested positive have recovered.
Ten individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, four of whom are in intensive care. This is a slight increase from yesterday, when only six people were hospitalized and three of them were in intensive care.
There were no new deaths related to the virus, and no new healthcare facility outbreaks. The outbreak at Richmond Lions Manor has been declared over. In total, eight long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care facility have active outbreaks.
There were also no new community outbreaks. However, community exposure events continue.
For a listing of community exposure events, click here.
For the latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/ or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
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