VANCOUVER -- As B.C. aims to increase COVID-19 testing, some doctors are worried about whether community clinics are properly equipped.
The province recently broadened its criteria so that patients experiencing mild cold and flu symptoms can get tested.
And a family physician told CTV News local clinics are taking appropriate safety measures.
Dr. Melissa Lem said Tuesday that doctors' offices are, for example, scheduling testing at the end of the day when no one else is in the clinic, or conducting swab testing with patients in the parking lot.
But she said one of the concerns right now for some doctors is a shortage of personal protective equipment, and access to the right viral swabs.
"What I'm hearing from my colleagues is that maybe the directive may be ahead of where we are at in terms of supplies," she said on CTV Morning Live.
"Thankfully there are some local divisions of family practice in Vancouver that have ordered a supply of PPE and are distributing to clinics that want to do this testing."
And she said she believes there are some swabs available, but they're not ideal. Thinner ones are preferred, and are more comfortable, when it comes to nasal swabs.
She said doctors are happy to do the expanded testing, as long as they can do it safely and properly.
