The COVID-19 Assessment Centre in Winchester has introduced a new appointment system.
Patients looking to get tested will now have to call and book a test.
CEO Cholly Boland says the centre is experiencing an unexpected increase in patients coming to get tested, like at other assessment centres.
“Not only are normal volumes of patients coming in additional numbers, as expected related to schools opening, but we’re getting many more people from outside our normal service area.”
Boland says that has been a bit of a surprise and has really spiked this week. He adds it’s understandable if you’re living somewhere else and will try a smaller community where hopefully there is a shorter line.
Boland says formally there were no appointments because they felt they could get through more people in a day but because of the increase in numbers they are going to “semi-appointments.” Boland describes this as a window of time someone will get to go in and get tested. He says they see about 150 patients in a day.
People looking to get tested can call the new dedicated line for the assessment centre at 613-801-2333. The assessment centre is at the Winchester Lions Hall.