Third move for Saint John COVID-19 testing site causing confusion, says MLA

Saint John’s coronavirus testing centre has had a few homes since Horizon Health Network put it in place earlier this month.

Residents in the Saint John area who wished to be tested for COVID-19 were originally directed to Exhibition Park before the test site was relocated to the city’s north end.

Now, the testing location has been moved for the third time, based out of the Hope Wellness Centre on Saint John’s east side.

READ MORE: Coronavirus testing centre in Saint John changes location

Horizon health said the decision came after community feedback.

But Saint John Harbour MLA Gerry Lowe said the triple-relocation is “a source of confusion for many Saint John residents,” and questioned the choice of the Hope Wellness Centre as a screening site.

“It doesn’t make sense to move the testing site to the far end of town.”

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“People don’t know what’s going on,” Lowe says in a statement released Friday.

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The Hope Wellness Centre is located on Loch Lomond Road, near the airport. That’s about a 20-minute drive from the city’s uptown.

Jean Daigle, Community Vice President for Horizon Health Network, says the new spot is better suited for a larger operation as COVID-19 continues to spread.

“Horizon is closely monitoring the number of referrals presenting to this centre,” Daigle says, “and this information will be used to determine whether additional sites will be put in place.”

Lowe wants to see one place more centrally within the city.

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“I know everyone involved in health care is working hard and trying their best at this difficult time,” said Lowe, “but people I talk to don’t think it makes much sense to put this testing site so far away.

“I hope Horizon takes another look at it for that reason.”

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