The BC CDC has removed access to the tool made available to self-report COVID rapid test results since the province has “shifted to supporting self-management of COVID-19 infection.”
CHEK News requested an interview with a spokesperson from the BC Centre for Disease Control, but was sent a statement in lieu of an interview.
The statement from the BC CDC says this move is due to high vaccination rates, and the online tool is being moved to a “maintenance phase” and can be “scaled-up again if required.”
According to the BC CDC, the maintenance phase means the online tool will no longer be used to report rapid test results.
The BC CDC’s web page will continue to have information for the public on how to access treatment and manage COVID-19.
“The Ministry of Health and the BC CDC continue to monitor key pandemic measures and provide regular updates to the public,” the statement says. “More information will be available this coming Tuesday.”
According to the B.C. government’s website, the COVID treatments, Sotrovimab and Paxlovid, require a person to start receiving the treatment within five days of developing symptoms.
Treatment will only be provided if a person has tested positive from a PCR or rapid test, and has a high risk condition, is Indigenous, has not had a booster COVID vaccine, or is unvaccinated.
To access treatments, people with a positive rapid test can enter results into the COVID-19 self-assessment tool, or call Service BC at 1-888-COVID-19 to share the results over the phone.
READ MORE: You can submit your rapid test result to the BCCDC — but it won’t be included in B.C.’s case reports
This story has been updated with information from BC CDC about how to access COVID-19 treatments.
Laura Brougham
