The Sault Area Hospital is seeing an uptick of numbers of people coming into the Emergency Department looking for COVID-19 testing because they believe they've been exposed or for workplace requirements.
"This trend is having an impact on our ability to provide regular care to our emergency patients," says a hospital spokesperson.
The only people who can access rapid in-house testing are patients who are being admitted to hospital or in-house patients so testing through the hospital won't produce results any faster than the COVID-19 Assessment Centre located on Drive-In Road.
"We are asking our community to please contact the Assessment Centre at (705) 759-3434, ext. 7152 for COVID-19 testing and not present to the Emergency Department," says the hospital.
COVID-19 testing is available at the centre by appointment only and the centre is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven-days-a-week. No referral is needed to get an appointment for testing but patients will be prescreened by telephone before they get an appointment.
As a result of testing becoming available for children aged 2-13 and other factors, the assessment centre has experienced a significant surge in volume prompting an extension of its hours from 8 p.m to 10 p.m.
The Assessment Centre is open to any person two years of age or over who:
- does not have symptoms but are concerned they have been exposed to COVID-19
- does not have symptoms but are at risk of exposure to COVID-19
- has any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (even mild ones)
- does not meet the above criteria but were referred for testing by a health care agency such as 9-1-1, Telehealth, Algoma Public Health, their primary care provider or occupational health department We thank our community for their patience and cooperation.
If you require urgent medical care, please proceed to the Emergency Department.
