There was one confirmed case of COVID-19 at Trinity Western University. This individual, who is an employee, has now fully recovered, and has been officially recognized by public health as such. TWU worked closely with relevant health authorities regarding this situation.  There is no risk to the TWU community.  We recommend that all members of the TWU community continue observing measures such as physical distancing, hand hygiene and self-monitoring as outlined below.

At this time patients are asked to avoid going to the emergency department for novel coronavirus testing.

If you feel that you might have COVID-19, please call ahead to your primary care provider's office or 8-1-1 to assess whether you need testing. Calling ahead to the clinic before you go ensures that the clinic is prepared to test you and keeps the clinic’s staff and other visitors safe.

If you do not have a primary care provider, please call 8-1-1 for assessment. The nurses at 8-1-1 can give you more information regarding where you can go for assessment and testing, for example, an urgent primary care centre or a walk-in clinic.

Nurses at 8-1-1 have been instructed to complete an exposure risk assessment of callers with compatible symptoms, such as cough or influenza-like symptoms. In some cases, the 8-1-1 nurses may suggest a caller go see a healthcare provider for assessment and testing, and recommend that the caller call ahead to tell the clinicians that they are coming.

The BCCDC COVID-19 Negative Results line is staffed from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, seven days a week. People who have tested are asked to wait 72 hours before calling the Negative Results line. Most people who have been tested are calling before the 72 hours and, as a result, the line is experiencing an extremely high call and voicemail volume. We ask for your patience and to try calling back if it has been more than 72 hours since your test.

If someone tests positive, public health will contact them. However, while you wait for your test result, you should follow the advice of your doctor or testing provider to self-isolate.

This means you have been close enough, long enough, to the person to be exposed to respiratory droplets or other bodily fluids.

While self-isolating you should:

• Stay in a well-ventilated room, including an open window, if possible. Do not have other people come into the room.
• Limit going in shared spaces. Try to keep a two-metre distance between yourself and others whenever possible.
• Practice good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene as described above.
• If possible, have supplies dropped off outside your door to help avoid direct contact, and limit the number of people helping to care for you.
• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.  Regular household cleaning products are effective against most viruses, and you can also use 1 part bleach to 9 parts water as an effective disinfectant.
• Use dedicated linen and utensils, which can be washed with soap and water and re-used, and do not need to be disposed of.
• Dispose of any tissues, wipes, masks, or gloves in a waste container lined with a plastic bag before disposing with other household waste.
• Wash your clothes in hot water (between 60-90 degrees C) and then thoroughly dry them.

Further information is available at the BC Centre for Diseases Control (BCCDC) website. You can also view this poster.

For students living in residence on the Langley campus who are self-isolating. Please use the following link to complete a Report of Self-Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Physical distancing helps keep everyone safe by separating you from people who may be ill and by keeping you away from others as you may be unknowingly be contagious. These activities help reduce the spread of the illness.

• Keeping 2 metres away from others.
• Respectfully keeping your distance from someone who sick
• Isolating yourself when sick (even with a mild cold)
• Avoiding going to group events
• Avoiding handshakes or other greetings involving touch.
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not available)
• Not sharing food water bottles, or utensils with others
• Using proper coughing or sneezing etiquette (cough/sneeze into elbow or tissue, not hand)
• Throw away used tissues or disposable items
• Frequently cleaning touched surfaces with household disinfectant

This will likely require making changes in your daily routines. Please help us, to help you, so we can help the most vulnerable members of our community and our healthcare workers. This will help the nation-wide effort to “flatten the curve” so we can reduce how quickly this virus moves through the population, which will mean fewer people need critical care and our health care system will be able to support them.