WRH to open a second COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Met Campus
27-7-2020
Windsor Regional Hospital has received approval from Ontario Health to open a second COVID-19 Assessment Centre to test individuals for the virus.
The initial COVID-19 Assessment Centre opened March 16, 2020 at the Ouellette Campus, adjacent to the Emergency Department. This allowed for patients requiring further clinical care to be easily transferred to and cared for within the hospital.
This second Assessment Centre will be located at the Met Campus. While details are still being finalized, this additional COVID-19 testing area will also be located adjacent to the Emergency Department, and due to physical space limitations at Met Campus will likely be housed in a temporary structure outside the east side of the campus.
It is anticipated that this second COVID-19 assessment centre will be open for individuals seeking COVID-19 tests in late August, 2020.
Visitors to the Ouellette Campus COVID-19 Assessment Centre have increased significantly in recent weeks. This rise in demand for testing is largely due to the requirement for testing prior to visiting loved ones at local long-term care and retirement home facilities, as well as the need for adults requiring general anesthesia during a non-urgent surgery needing to be tested several days in advance of their procedures.
Daily volumes hit a record 452 individuals on July 20 and nearly 20,000 individuals have visited the Ouellette Campus for a COVID-19 test since its March opening.
It is expected that the Met Campus Assessment Centre will help accommodate further increases in demand for COVID-19 testing this fall.
"We need to plan in advance in the event that demand for testing further increases with possible Wave 2, more individuals returning to work, particularly if and when the region moves to Stage 3, as well as any openings in the educational sector," said WRH President and CEO David Musyj. "This new location gives individuals two options, allows for easier access to a higher level of care or diagnostic exams, if needed, and will help reduce wait times on days where interest in receiving a test significantly stretches our staff resources and capacity."
As with the Ouellette Campus location, hours of operation of the Met Campus COVID-19 Assessment Centre will be subject to demand. WRH recently expanded the weekday hours of operation for the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Ouellette Campus in response to consistently high volumes of individuals seeking a swab test for the virus. It is currently open from 8 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday and 9 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
We also continue to review our COVID-19 assessment centre operations to make adjustments based on weather. In recent weeks, most individuals waiting for a test at Ouellette Campus have been allowed into a new waiting area inside to escape the recent heat wave. Plans for a structure to house the COVID-19 assessment centre needs at the Met Campus will be designed in a way to best keep individuals sheltered from difficult weather conditions in fall and winter.
We continue to encourage ALL individuals to get tested if they want one, including those who are asymptomatic.
As has always been in the case in Windsor, you do NOT need an appointment, referral from Telehealth Ontario, primary care, or the Health Unit in order to be tested.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is staffed with physicians and nursing staff daily. Patients should also know that the COVID-19 Assessment Centre is a safe environment for testing and care.
COVID-19 swabs from our region are sent to London, Ontario for laboratory testing. The turnaround time has varied but generally within a couple days. The Province continues to monitor the volumes and Turn Around Times (TAT) and determines if capacity may need to be increased.
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