Guelph's COVID-19 assessment centre opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning and by 1 p.m. it had 55 visitors.
It takes up to 20 minutes to complete a visit, depending on what level of screening is needed. There was a small lineup in the morning but by 1 p.m. there were five individuals waiting outside.
Masks and hand sanitizer was the first step for arrivees before they were taken in by a staff member and register at the front desk, be assessed by a health care professional and the level of follow-up care, if any, will be decided then, including whether a test for COVID-19 is necessary.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says hundreds of people in the local health unit's service area have been tested in the past couple of weeks, but there has only been one confirmed case of COVID-19 – an Orangeville man who returned from a trip to the United States.
Not everyone who attends the assessment centre will be tested. People are screened to see what level of care they need: from none at all, to a COVID-19 test to being sent to the hospital.
"It's important to understand that testing only occurs for people that need it. If you have no symptoms you will not be tested. In fact we don't even want you to go to the assessment centre," said Public Health's chief medical officer Dr. Nicola Mercer.
"If you have mild symptoms, you will most likely not be tested either, and the first option is that you stay home for 14 days and get better like you would with a mild cold.
"If you have mild symptoms, stay home and get better like you normally would."
Those with moderate symptoms can call telehealth or their doctor over the phone, and they will call you back, one of the enhanced options put in place by the province.
"They may send you to the assessment clinic. Not that you couldn't go there on your own, but we're trying to only send people who have more moderate symptoms to the assessment centre in order that we we can triage those who are more ill and more likely to requre testing," Dr. Mercer said.
Those with serious symptoms should go to the emergency ward.
People do not need to be referred to the screening centre, which is a combined effort between Public Health, Guelph General Hospital and the Guelph Family Health Team.
Public Health urges people to use the province's online self-diagnosis tool found here before deciding whether or not a trip to the screening centre is warranted.
"The centre is doing an amazing job," Dr. Mercer said. "There are a few people outside waiting, but the centre is moving extremely smoothly and very efficiently."
The centre is located at 65 Delhi St. and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. There is plenty of parking on-site.
