Testing for COVID-19 is being stepped up as the number of new cases increases in B.C.
Health Minister Adrian Dix and deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson say new testing centres and extended hours of service have been added in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions.
In a joint statement, they said the province can now complete 8,000 tests a day.
Testing is key because it allows government researchers to trace and contain the spread of the disease, they said. “The tests tell us who is positive for the virus, as well as how far the virus may have spread among close contacts when an outbreak or community cluster occurs.”
Anyone with symptoms is eligible to be tested. Health officials say getting tested is recommended only for people who are showing symptoms such as a dry cough, fever and difficulty discerning flavours in food.
Those who think they have these symptoms are asked to keep their distance from others, and to phone 811 or their health-care provider to arrange for an assessment.
Another 68 cases of COVID-19 were announced on Wednesday, bringing the number active cases in the province to 798, up from 775 on Tuesday and 743 on Monday. Before this week, the highest number of active COVID-19 infections in B.C. was 717, on April 28.
