Public health has expanded the symptoms in its screening criteria for potential COVID-19 cases.
That’s following the removal of travel as a requirement Tuesday.
The province is now asking anyone with two or more symptoms of fever, new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, or headache to use the online COVID-19 assessment tool.
At a press conference this afternoon, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang said it’s part of, what he calls, a gold standard testing strategy.
“We’re going to, probably, have lots of people that come forward with say, a runny nose and a headache, [and] we’re going to be testing them. In normal times we’d just say, ‘you’ve probably got a cold,'” he said. “Most of them will turn out to be negative, but it’s really important that we provide access to testing to those individuals to get the ones who may actually be COVID.”
Dr. Strang took time out of the conference to chastise people lying to 911.
He said he’s heard reports of people telling 911 operators they have COVID-19 symptoms only to tell the first responders that arrive they don’t and were looking for a faster response.
“Saying you have COVID will not assure you, in any way, that you’re going to get faster attention,” he said. “It causes unnecessary anxiety to EHS crews and it’s a waste of resources of precious personal protective equipment.”
Dr. Strang said, if you’re honest, you’ll get the help you need in the time you need it.
32 new cases were announced Wednesday. There are now 342 province-wide with 33 in the eastern zone.
