In another move that gets us one step closer to endemic rather than pandemic territory, you no longer need to report your COVID-19 test results in BC, nor could you even if you wanted to.
The BCCDC has removed the online tool that was used for reporting COVID-19 test results.
In a statement to Daily Hive, the BCCDC attributes the change to the province shifting its COVID-19 strategy to a self-management system.
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As BC continues to scale back the layers of protection against COVID-19, the province is shifting the onus onto residents to proceed in whichever way suits them best.
Some residents have been surprised by the news on social media, not realizing that they ever had to report their COVID-19 test results.
It’s true, though. The BCCDC had a requirement in place. For example, Interior Health stated that “you must self-report your positive test results here: https://reportcovidresults.bccdc.ca.”
However, when you visit that link now, you’re greeted with a message that says, “Reporting COVID-19 test results through the online COVID Positive Test Result Reporting Form is no longer required.”
What does this mean?
For one, it means that the daily COVID-19 report with case counts and hospitalizations doesn’t tell the full story.
It also seems to reflect the province’s attitude towards COVID-19.
For weeks now, BC health officials have reiterated the idea that we’re in a good place. Hospitalizations have mostly trended down over the past few weeks, and that has become a more important metric than the daily case count. It’s one of the main reasons that the mask mandate was lifted, and why the BC Vaccine Card will likely be dropped later this week.
The website for reporting test results will now shift to providing citizens with information on how to access treatment and how to manage their COVID-19 symptoms.
The BCCDC tells Daily Hive that more information will be coming on Tuesday as part of a larger briefing about the state of COVID-19 in the province.
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