Kingston Health Sciences Centre has announced it will relocate the Community COVID-19 Assessment Centre to the Beechgrove Complex, as of this weekend and will be expanding the operating hours. Drive-thru testing will also be offered for the first time this weekend.
The moves comes after demand for testing surged in recent weeks, resulting in long lines at the assessment centre at the Leon’s Centre in downtown Kingston. Wait times of up to seven hours have been reported by some who were tested after standing in a line that has been wrapping around the building.
The Beechgrove Complex lies just south of the King St. West and Portmouth Avenue intersection. According to Kingston Health Sciences Centre, signage will direct people through the complex to the Recreation Centre building at 51 Heakes Lane for walk-in testing and will mark the route cars must travel for drive-thru testing on Sept. 26 and 27.
The drive-thru swabbing is scheduled only for this weekend and officials will be evaluating the model and determining next steps after that.
“With volumes growing quickly in the Assessment Centre, we believe the new site will be more responsive to community need,” says Elizabeth Bardon, KHSC vice-president of mission, strategy integration and support services. “It will give us greater flexibility in terms of physical space, accessibility, patient comfort and parking. We will continue to reassess and adjust as we go to continually improve the model.”
The assessment centre at the Leon’s Centre site will close as of 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. The Centre will completely relocate to the Beechgrove site and reopen at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 26.
WHAT STAYS THE SAME
- Prior to visiting the assessment centre, patients and parents of young children are encouraged to complete an online self-assessment to determine if they need to come in for a test. Self-assessment tools are available here.
- Walk-in patients will continue to be seen. Infants under 6 months of age should be taken to the Children’s Outpatient Centre at the HDH site or the emergency department for assessment.
- People are required to bring a valid Ontario health card or a piece of photo identification.
- People must wear a mask and maintain physical distancing at all times while in the walk-in line.
WHAT’S NEW
- Operating hours: Testing hours will return to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Drive-thru swabbing: To help address the immediate need for more testing in our community, a drive-through option will be available Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27. In-car testing will be limited to 4 persons per car and individuals being tested must bring a valid Ontario health card.
- Feedback tool: The public can now send their concerns, questions and comments to COVIDAC@kingstonhsc.ca and every effort will be made to provide a response within two business days.