WINCHESTER, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) will be opening their second assessment site in Winchester on April 1. Their first assessment site was opened in Hawkesbury last week.
The assessment centre will be at the Winchester Lions Club
“The aim of the assessment centre is to increase access to COVID-19 testing for EOHU area residents, while reducing the strain on 911, EMS and hospital emergency rooms so that they can focus on urgent care,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit. “It will also reduce the risk of spreading the virus in hospitals and doctors’ offices, helping us to protect healthcare workers and other patients from COVID-19 infection.”
Anyone experiencing symptoms in the Winchester area is asked first to complete the Ontario Ministry of Health’s online self-assessment test before attending the site. If their self-assessment returns positive, they are asked to contact a health professional through Telehealth who may refer them to the assessment centre or for a test. If anyone is experiencing severe difficulty breathing, they should contact 9-1-1 immediately.
“WDMH is grateful for this partnership with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit. This COVID-19 assessment centre will help protect our patients, their families, our staff and our physicians,” said Cholly Boland, WDMH CEO. “The hope is we can stay ahead of the game and prevent the spread of the virus as much as possible.”
