There are now COVID-19 screening clinics in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.
The two clinics were opened on Monday. Screening clinics were opened last week in Victoria, the Cowichan Valley, Port Alberni and Nanaimo.
Access to all the clinics is by referral and appointment only.
Island Health said according to the latest guidance from the BC Centre for Disease Control, people who should be tested are those with respiratory symptoms who are:
- Hospitalized, or likely to be hospitalized
- Healthcare workers
- Residents of long-term care facilities
- Part of an investigation of a cluster or outbreak
People who do not need to be tested include:
- People without symptoms
- People with mild respiratory symptoms that can be managed in self-isolation at home
- Returning travellers with no symptoms or mild symptoms that can be managed in self-isolation at home
If you are experiencing symptoms (such as new fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing) or are concerned you have been exposed to COVID-19, the BCCDC has an online self-assessment tool: https://covid19.thrive.health/.
People can also contact their primary care provider or call HealthLink BC at 811 to be assessed. Only those deemed as meeting the requirement for testing will be referred to a screening clinic.
The Ministry of Health and Island Health is urging anyone who has symptoms – including a fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, or difficulty breathing – to self-isolate for at least 10 days.
If you are healthy, you are asked to wash your hands frequently and maintain a distance of about two metres from others.
Island Health has also made other changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People are asked not send flowers or other gifts to their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Island Health has also adjusted the hours at some outpatient labs on Vancouver Island and closed others. The changes took effect Tuesday.
Services will now be focused on collecting medically necessary samples. Patients with urgent needs or standing orders for lab work will be accommodated at the nearest available Island Health or LifeLabs location. People with non-urgent lab tests are asked to postpone their visits until normal service levels resume.
Other restrictions include:
- Essential visits only at all Island Health facilities.
- No visitor who is unwell with the following symptoms may visit an Island Health facility: fever, cough, runny/stuffy nose, sore throat and/or diarrhea.
- Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19 during the previous 14 days, must not visit patients/residents in any Island Health facility or long-term care facility.
Read the changes at the outpatient labs below:
CHEK News
