Calgary 
Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH
Alberta Government has announced that travellers who returned to Alberta after March 12 and have mild symptoms will no longer be tested for COVID-19. Instead, they will be told to self-isolate at home and away from others. This change is effective going forward, so anyone who has already been told by Health Link that they will be tested will still get tested.
This is the new approach to testing for COVID-19 that will prioritize groups at highest risk of local exposure and at-risk populations.
Symptomatic individuals who will be prioritised for testing:
- People who are hospitalized with respiratory illness.
- Residents of continuing care and other similar facilities.
- People who returned from travelling 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).
According to the news release, anyone with symptoms who does not fit any of these categories should stay home and self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the start of their symptoms, or until symptoms resolve, whichever is longer.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said, “Changing our testing protocols will allow us to focus Alberta’s testing capacity on those most at risk. 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.”
