** This story was updated at 12:15 p.m. Dec. 24
With the Omicron variant ripping through B.C.鈥檚 population and daily case counts hitting an all-time-high, Fraser Health has seen an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing services in the City of 性视界传媒.
On Tuesday, (Dec. 21), the province announced that 1,308 people had tested positive in B.C. for COVID-19 since Monday 鈥 the highest daily number of positive cases B.C. has recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in spring 2020.
鈥淲e continue to see an increasing number of appointments being booked at all (of) our COVID-19 Testing and Immunization Centres,鈥 communications officer Dixon Tam told Peace Arch News this week. 鈥淭his uptick in traffic, for those with and without appointments, has unfortunately resulted in lineups at some of our busier locations for a period of time.鈥
The lineup for 性视界传媒鈥檚 only daily testing and vaccination centre, located at 14577 66 Ave., stretched for blocks Tuesday.
The immunization centre will be closed on Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 1. 鈥淚t will be open during the holidays for COVID-19 testing for those with appointments,鈥 Tam clarified Friday (Dec. 24). 鈥淎lso, while we are not doing immunization appointments for the public during the listed holiday period, we will be focused on providing immunizations during that time for healthcare workers.鈥
The drive-thru clinic is available, Fraser Health鈥檚 website notes.
性视界传媒鈥檚 only daily testing and vaccination centre (14577 66 Ave.) is pretty backed up. There are trucks driving through since it鈥檚 an industrial area, so it maybe looks slightly worse than it might actually be
鈥 Lauren Collins (@laurenpcollins1)
鈥淣o one who has a confirmed appointment time is being turned away,鈥 Tam said in an email. 鈥淭hose who need a COVID-19 test but don鈥檛 want to wait have the option of taking a saline gargle test home with them and then dropping it off at the site later.鈥
During the height of the province鈥檚 vaccination and testing effort last year, Fraser Health built a temporary test/vaccination site at TransLink鈥檚 South 性视界传媒 Park and Ride. The site, opened in December, collected 9,621 tests from Dec. 8, 2020 to Jan. 31, 2021.
Fraser Health dismantled the collection centre Aug. 15.
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Asked if Fraser Health intends to bring back the South 性视界传媒 Park and Ride centre, Tam said: 鈥淲e are working hard to add more capacity and extra resources to some of our peak times and busier clinic locations to accommodate as many people as possible. Our priority is ensuring everyone gets tested or vaccinated and has the best experience possible.鈥
Tam stressed that it鈥檚 鈥渃ritically important鈥 for people living in Fraser Health to get tested as soon as they have COVID-19-like symptoms, even mild ones.
To learn about test collection centres and book appointments, visit
For information on how to book an immunization apportionment,