VICTORIA -- With a growing number of British Columbians looking for COVID-19 testing or calling HealthLink BC’s 811 phone line for assessments, the B.C. government has launched an online self-assessment tool for residents to take steps on their own.
The assessment tool, which was developed by the Ministry of Health, asks a number of questions to help residents determine if they need to receive further testing for COVID-19.
The provincial government is reminding British Columbians that not everyone needs to be tested for the novel coronavirus.
Anyone who is not displaying symptoms, or people who have “mild respiratory symptoms” that can be managed at home – including travellers who have returned to Canada within the past 14 days – are encouraged to self-isolate for two weeks and not seek further testing.
The B.C. government says that the only people who should seek COVID-19 testing are people with respiratory symptoms and who are:
- Hospitalized, or likely to be hospitalized
- Health-care workers
- Residents of long-term care facilities
- Part of an investigation of a cluster or outbreak
Meanwhile, anyone who is sick, or who has symptoms of fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, or difficulty breathing, is asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days.
For British Columbians who are out in public, the province asks that everyone practice frequent hand washing and to remain two metres apart from other people, if possible.
Anyone looking for non-medical information about COVID-19, including the latest information on travel recommendations, can call or text the provincial government through a newly created hotline at 1-888-268-4319 (1-888-COVID19) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.
B.C.’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool can be found online here.
