Richmond's only COVID-19 testing site has been temporarily shut down due to "hazardous weather conditions."
Vancouver Coastal Health announced on its Twitter account on Saturday (Dec. 25) that the testing site near Vancouver International Airport was "temporarily suspended."
People will be redirected to other testing sites including UBC and ICBC, VCH said.
Staff from the YVR testing site will also be redeployed to other sites to help manage the "potential influx in testing volumes."
"VCH will monitor weather conditions closely over the coming days and re-open the YVR testing clinic once it is safe to do so," the health authority said.
The Richmond News has reached out to VCH for more information.
The YVR site isn't the only COVID-19 testing site affected by the winter weather.
VCH announced on Friday that the St. Vincent testing site near Cambie Street and 33rd Avenue in Vancouver would be temporarily shut down as a "precautionary measure," due to a winter storm warning issued by Environment Canada.
Test-seekers will be diverted from the St. Vincent site to the new rapid antigen testing site at the Life Sciences Centre at UBC.
The UBC site will also continue to operate once the St. Vincent site reopens to help meet demand.
VCH told the News earlier this week that it had seen a "significant uptick" in demand at many of its testing sites, due to the more transmissible omicron variant and other respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms making the rounds.
Between Dec. 6 to 12 and Dec 13 to 19, there was a 69 per cent increase in demand at the health authority's testing sites.
The health authority previously told the News it has 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.
VCH is also advising people to not get tested if they don't have symptoms to help manage capacity at testing sites.
