Vancouver Coastal Health has updated its isolation requirements for fully vaccinated individuals with COVID-19.
The health authority’s website now states fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for seven days from when their symptoms first began.
This is down from 10 days.
One individual, who tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation, told the Richmond News a public health nurse told them the change was the result of “ever changing data” that shows fully vaccinated people do not appear to be infectious after seven days.
In a statement to the News, VCH said it is following updated guidelines from the BC Centre for Disease Control, including for self isolation.
According to the BCCDC guidance, people who are fully immunized – meaning seven days after completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccine series – who are asymptomatic or have mild or moderate illness, are recovering at home and are not immunocompromised, can end isolation once the following criteria are met:
- At least seven days have passed since onset of symptoms (or test date for asymptomatic cases), and
- Fever has resolved for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and
- Symptoms (respiratory, gastrointestinal and systemic) have improved
However, people with asymptomatic, mild or moderate illness, who are not fully vaccinated and not immunocompromised, must still self-isolate for 10 days according to VCH.
People who have severe illness and/or are immunocompromised must continue to self-isolate for 20 days regardless of vaccination status.
Rapid tests at COVID-19 testing sites
Meanwhile, VCH said it continues to record a "significant uptick" in demand at its COVID-19 testing sites, due to the more transmissible omicron variant as well as other respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms making the rounds.
Between Dec. 6 and 12, and Dec. 13 to 19, VCH testing sites saw a 69 per cent increase in demand. Furthermore, nearly 45,000 PCR and rapid antigen tests were administered from Dec. 1 to 22.
VCH said staff have been redeployed to help meet demand.
The health authority has also started giving out rapid antigen tests "in some cases" at test sites, following provincial health guidance.
PCR testing will, however, continue to be used for some people, with priority given to those at greater risk of severe illness.
People who test positive with a rapid antigen test are given instructions for completing their assessment, reporting their positive result to VCH, self-isolation, managing symptoms and notifying their contacts.
According to VCH, those who test positive using a rapid antigen test do not need to take a PCR test to confirm their result.
The health authority is also advising people to not get tested if they don't have symptoms to help manage capacity at testing sites.
The online BC COVID-19 Self Assessment Tool can help people sort out whether they need to get a test.
There are also private test sites available for people who need to be tested for travel.
