Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) has been approved to open a second COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
Ontario Health gave the green light to open the new assessment centre, in a temporary structure next to the Emergency Department (ED) at Met Campus.
Hospital CEO David Musyj says physical space is very limited.
"We are going to be getting some modular units that will be coming in and the game plan is, the target is near the end of August,” he says. “What we have to get ready for of course is more return to work, the season that's coming up plus possibly what happens with the education system and how that unfolds over the next couple of weeks."
According to Musyj, the hospital reports that daily-testing 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.
“Near the end of June early July, every assessment centre across the province was really hit because of the requirements to do testing for people to visit their loved ones in a long-term care or retirement home even on the outside now, if you want to go inside you have to have it done and we're still seeing that happen," says Musyj.
All individuals are encouraged by the hospital to get tested if they want, including those who are asymptomatic.
Those wishing to get tested do not need an appointment, referral from Telehealth Ontario, primary care, or the Health Unit. The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is staffed with physicians and nursing staff daily.
When it comes to test results, the COVID-19 swabs from Windsor-Essex are sent to London with turnaround time varying but results are generally returned within a couple days.
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 and is currently open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.