Vancouver Coastal Health closing COVID-19 test site on UBC campus 1 month after it opened
A COVID-19 testing site that first opened on Christmas Eve to help meet the surging demand for tests in Vancouver during the early stages of the Omicron wave is shutting down.
The testing facility at UBC's Life Sciences Centre will close on Jan. 27, according to a news release from Vancouver Coastal Health.
The health authority said the site was established as "a temporary testing location on Dec. 24 to support other Vancouver-based sites from late December through to January."
When it first announced the site in December, Vancouver Coastal Health did not describe the facility as temporary. A UBC news release from the time, however, indicated that it would operate until Jan. 28.
At the time, the Omicron variant had overwhelmed B.C.'s capacity to administer a PCR test to everyone in the province with COVID-19 symptoms. Rapid tests were being offered to people under age 65, but testing for otherwise healthy people in that age group was not recommended.
When it opened, the UBC test site offered only rapid tests, reflecting the recent change.
Since then, the province has further restricted testing. B.C. now recommends testing only for the unvaccinated, the immunocompromised and people who live or work in certain high-risk settings, and then only when such individuals have symptoms.
The changes to testing eligibility have eased the pressure on B.C.'s testing system, which conducted 10,940 tests on Wednesday, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
The system's maximum capacity, according to health officials, is roughly 20,000 tests.
"VCH continues to offer a variety of COVID-19 testing options in Vancouver for those who are eligible for testing," the health authority said in its statement Wednesday.
"Anyone who is eligible to get tested can attend any VCH testing site without an appointment. A list of testing site locations is available on the BCCDC website."
Vancouver Coastal Health thanked frontline workers and UBC leadership for helping to "rapidly mobilize" the testing site at the Life Sciences Centre.
"VCH remains committed to ensuring those at higher risk of serious illness, or those who live or work in high-risk settings continue to receive low-barrier access to testing services," the health authority said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
MPs to vote on NDP motion calling on Canada to recognize Palestinian statehood
Members of Parliament will vote Monday on a motion from the federal New Democrats, calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine,' among a range of other calls to action in regards to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.