Staying healthy and safe
- Stay home if you are sick;
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
- Wear a face covering when you cannot maintain two (2) metres of physical distancing;
- Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage; and
- Clean and frequently disinfect surfaces.
More information on Prevention and Risks is available from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
COVID-19 Symptoms
Common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Cough or worsening of chronic cough
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Headache
- Muscle aches
More information on COVID-19 Symptoms is available from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
COVID-19 Self-Assessment and Testing
The BC Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool helps you determine whether you should be tested for COVID-19. If you have a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headache or sore throat and you have been in contact with someone who is sick, contact your family doctor or call 8-1-1 to speak to a health care provider. Getting tested for COVID-19 may be recommended.
Vancouver Coastal Health conducts COVID-19 tests for North Vancouver, West Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, Richmond and other municipalities in this region. For students living and studying in other areas, contact the health authority for your region for COVID-19 testing sites in your area.
Get the Facts on COVID-19
Call 1 888 COVID-19 or (1 888 268 4319), a non-emergency phone line open 7 days a week (7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.) for answers to non-medical questions about COVID-19.
The BC Centre of Disease Control provides up-to-date information on COVID-19 for people living in British Columbia. Follow updates from local, provincial, national and international health authorities for more information: