With many British Columbians having trouble getting through to the HealthLink 8-1-1 phone lines due to increased call volumes, BC Health Minister Adrian Dix announced today that the province is launching a dedicated information line specifically for coronavirus.
“British Columbia’s HealthLink 811 line has experienced intermittent busy signals as call volume has increased,” a statement from the Ministry of Health reads.
“We are resolving this by adding more staff, more phone lines and a new menu option to provide a dedicated queue for calls about COVID-19.”
The new dedicated line can be reached at 1-888-COVID-19 or 1-888-268-4319.
In a press conference on Monday, the B.C. Ministry of Health reported 30 new cases of novel coronavirus in the province, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 103 people.
In unfortunate news, Dr. Henry also confirmed that three people have died due to novel coronavirus, all of whom were residents at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in north Vancouver. This brings the total death toll of COVID-19 to four in B.C.
The BCCDC has also set up a novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 181,344.
Nearly 7,130 people have died from the illness and 78,338 have made a full recovery.
With files from Brishti Basu.
