VANCOUVER -- Fraser Health unveiled a new COVID-19 alert webpage on Thursday, aimed at increasing awareness around potential community exposure to the virus.
The new page will include a list of current exposures in the region where health officials have been unable to reach or identify all the people who might have potentially been exposed.
“This webpage is an important tool…so that we can provide advice and prevent further transmission,” said Fraser Health president and CEO Dr. Victoria Lee.
The health authority reiterated that while the possible exposures are typically “low risk,” those impacted should monitor carefully for symptoms of COVID-19, and self-isolate and seek out testing if any symptoms develop.
The page currently does not have any reportable public exposure events listed.
Neighbouring Vancouver Coastal Health has a similar page with four different public exposure events listed.
Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin, Fraser Health’s interim chief medical officer, said that the authority will not list events where contact tracers have been able to reach everyone who may have been exposed.
An example includes employees who tested positive for COVID-19 at two Tri-Cities restaurants earlier this week.
Brodkin said health officials were following “a number of individuals” and everyone who needs to be has been contacted.
She added that the authority is trying to balance individual privacy with public safety.
The Fraser Health region, which spans communities from Burnaby to the Fraser Canyon, has had the greatest number of positive COVID-19 tests of any region in British Columbia. On Thursday morning, the total for the region stood at 1,742 total cases, with 1,546 of those recovered.
79 people have died in the region since the beginning of the pandemic. Nine people are currently in hospital, with three in ICU or acute care.
