The current COVID-19 Assessment Centre on Delhi Street will close this weekend and a new site will be opened Monday at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre.
The new location will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
The new site will provide better parking and increased accessibility, said a joint news release from Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health, Guelph Family Health Team and Guelph General Hospital sent Friday.
“This new location for the Assessment Clinic is a key part of preparing our city for the next phase of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, local medical officer of health. “The ability to quickly and efficiently see visitors combined with the ability to rapidly scale up clinic operations are important factors in effectively managing our response to COVID-19 as the situation continues to evolve."
The Delhi Street assessment centre will close at 4 p.m. on Sunday to accommodate the move to the new facility.
WDG Public Health, Guelph General Hospital, Guelph Family Health Team and the City of Guelph continue to work with local partners and all levels of government to ensure our city manages the COVID-19 outbreak effectively, said the release.
“The Guelph Family Health Team has been working hard to ensure the assessment centre facilitates as many tests for local residents as possible,” said Ross Kirkconnell, Executive Director of the Guelph Family Health Team. “We are looking forward to continuing this work at the new site.”
Individuals should not attend the assessment centre unless they have symptoms, said the release from Public Health. Public Health says people with mild symptoms should stay home and self-isolate
Self-isolation information from Public Health can be found at this link.
People with moderate symptoms — including fever, cough or shortness of breath — should contact their physician and follow their directions, said Public Health.
A person with severe symptoms should visit the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.
People attending the assessment clinic will be seen by a clinician and a mask and hand sanitizer will be provided upon arrival. Instructions will be given by the clinician, which could include self-isolation without administering a test.
Public Health worked with the City of Guelph in finding a new location for the clinic, resulting in the Victoria Road Recreation Centre being identified as the preferred one.
Along with most other city facilities, the Victoria Road Recreation Centre was closed to the public last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday morning crews could be seen using a fogger and Anolyte to disinfect a reception area in the lower level of the rec centre.
A Public Health Agency of Canada information poster about COVID-19 was also seen at two public entrances of the rec centre on Wednesday.
Guelph's first COVID-19 Assessment Clinic, located at 65 Delhi St., opened its doors on March 17.
"To stay well, stay home. To slow the spread and help the health care system you should only go out for essential reasons, including daily exercise or walking your pet,” said Mercer.
“The Guelph General Hospital and the Guelph Family Health Team have been operating the assessment clinic on Delhi Street since early March and have assessed 826 individuals and tested 321,” said Marianne Walker, CEO of Guelph General Hospital. “I have every confidence that the new assessment centre will assist many more residents in a timely and clinically safe manner.”
