Thursday October 29, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
Island Health is making what it calls temporary changes to their outpatient lab services as a way to facilitate support amidst the COVID-19 response.
The impact is island-wide, “to ensure that people receive COVID-19 test results in a timely manner” which Island Health describes as “a critical component in the effort to slow the transmission of the virus in our communities”.
“Supporting the COVID-19 response has placed unprecedented demand on laboratory services within Island Health and health authorities throughout B.C.,” it was stated in a release today October 29.
This is the first such announcement or adjustment during the pandemic which was first declared in BC on March 17, 2020. The next day, on March 18, BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth declared a province-wide state of emergency (which presently continues to November 10).
Test load:
In yesterday’s BC Centre for Disease Control Report it showed that 9,568 COVID-19 tests had been done in BC in 24 hours (October 27 to 28), of which 774 were done in Island Health.
To date in the pandemic, 806,953 COVID-19 tests have been done.
Adjusted hours & some closures:
To ensure laboratory staff and resources are best positioned to continue to respond to COVID-19 moving into cold and influenza season, Island Health will temporarily adjust the hours at some outpatient labs and temporarily close others.
The changes take effect November 2, 2020. That includes the lab not being open on Saturdays at the Royal Jubilee Hospital but open with expanded hours on Sundays. Hours won’t change at Victoria General Hospital.
“Island Health will ensure all communities we serve have an option to access outpatient lab services. Patients with standing orders for lab work will be accommodated at the nearest available Island Health or LifeLabs location,” it was stated by the Island Health Authority today.
“These changes are only temporary and will remain in effect for an indefinite amount of time, as necessary to respond to COVID-19.”
The most recent information around hours and which location is available locally, check the Medical Laboratory Locations page at within the Island Health website or call 1-877-370-8355.
