By Shane Clausing

COVID-19 testing

Alberta announces changes for COVID-19 testing

Mar 23, 2020 | 10:56 AM

The Province of Alberta announced Monday that it will be taking a new approach when it comes to testing for COVID-19.

These new changes will prioritize groups with the highest risk of local exposure and at-risk populations.

Anyone who returned to Alberta after March 12 and has only mild symptoms will no longer be tested for COVID-19. Going forward, those individuals will be told to self-isolate at home and to stay away from others.

This change takes place March 23, and those who have already been told by Health Link that they will be tested, will still get tested.

Testing will be prioritized for the following individuals, if they are symptomatic:

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• People who are hospitalized with respiratory illness.
• Residents of continuing care and other similar facilities.
• People who returned from traveling abroad between March 8 and March 12 (before the self-isolation protocols were in place).
• Health-care workers with respiratory symptoms (this testing will begin later this week).

“Changing our testing protocols will allow us to focus Alberta’s testing capacity on those most at risk,” said Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, in a release. “This is consistent with the approach happening across Canada. It will enable us to strategically use our testing resources. Our new approach reflects the fact that the most important thing anyone can do if they have mild symptoms isn’t to get tested – it’s to stay home and self-isolate.”

The province’s online self-assessment tool has been updated to reflect the change in testing for returning travelers.

The North Zone currently has 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Two of those cases are located in Grande Prairie.