Pop-up pilot project to offer COVID-19 testing in Kitchener

A new pilot project will offer pop-up COVID-19 clinics at two community centres in Kitchener in the coming days.

A release from St. Mary’s General Hospital says the pop-up clinics will operate out of Kingsdale Community Centre on Feb. 11, 18 and 25, and at Victoria Hills Community Centre on Feb. 16 and 23 as well as on March 7.

The hospital says testing will be offered on a walk-in basis to residents of those communities who show symptoms of COVID-19 or who have high-risk contact.

The new project is a collaborative effort from a number of community organizations, including the African, Caribbean and Black Network of Waterloo Region, the African Family Revival Organization and the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area alongside the hospital, the city and Waterloo Public Health.

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“Proactive leadership from those close to these communities has helped design a model intended to be as locally accessible as possible,” St. Mary’s president Lee Fairclough said.

“By working closely with community leaders, we look forward to learning through this pilot what works best for their residents so we can adjust the model where needed.”

The hospital says Waterloo Public Health identified high priority neighbourhoods and has been working with those in the communities to find ways to create better access testing.

“Local data for Waterloo Region demonstrates that COVID-19 has a greater impact on residents who are Black, racialized and those living with low income,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Waterloo Public Health’s medical officer of health.

“We are grateful to our partners who have utilized this data and worked with community leaders to make testing accessible in priority neighbourhoods. This has truly been a community partnership approach.”