The province has provided updated guidance on when you should get tested for COVID-19 in order to focus attention on clusters or outbreaks.
As we head into the time of year where people may be gathering in small groups, Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a briefing that it is important for people to be aware of the symptoms of the virus, as they are similar to influenza or colds.
“Here in BC, the majority of new cases continue to be directly connected to known, confirmed cases of COVID-19,” said Henry.
“As a result, if you are a close contact of someone with the virus or of someone who is part of a cluster or outbreak and you develop any symptoms, you should arrange to get tested immediately.”
Henry added that if you have not been around anyone who has the virus, the guidance for when to get a test has been updated to make it clearer for the public.
“There are four symptoms that are highly predictive of the virus: fever or chills, cough, loss of sense of smell or taste, and difficulty breathing. If you have any of these symptoms, you should arrange to get tested right away,” she explained.
“If you have one or two of any of the other symptoms, you can wait 24 hours. These symptoms include sore throat, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. If you feel the same or worse after 24 hours, then you should also get tested. As always, if you are uncertain, contact your health provider or call 811.”
Henry announced 673 new cases of COVID-19 in her latest update. There are 10,009 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Yesterday, 806 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were given to BC front-line health-care workers, for a total of 1,215 doses.
Starting next week, the province will receive weekly vaccine deliveries for clinics in every health region across the province.
