THUNDER BAY - Individuals with mild symptoms wishing to be tested for COVID-19 in the Thunder Bay area can do so this upcoming weekend.
For those who are experiencing symptoms, even if they are mild, are encouraged to attend the drive-through COVID-19 testing this weekend at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit office on Balmoral Street.
“We are looking at setting up a drive-through initiative with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit,” Shane Muir of Superior North EMS told media on Thursday, April 16. “We want to open up testing to capture some of those populations that may not have the most severe symptoms so that will just give us a baseline on what is going on in the community.”
The mass testing project is a joint initiative provided by the health unit and Superior North EMS Community Paramedicine.
“This will be open to everyone and anybody that is symptomatic and any kinds of symptoms,” he said.
“Anybody who is capable of coming out and driving and wants to be tested and is symptomatic can come through the drive-through centre and we can help facilitate that,” he said.
Those looking to be tested will need to call the district health unit in advance to book an appointment. The testing will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with testing to be completed with individuals remaining in their vehicles.
“It’s going to be a trial run this weekend and we will see how it works out and we will expand on it from there if things do work out,” Muir said, adding if the trial run is successful, it could expand throughout the community over the next couple weeks.
The testing will be held in the health unit parking lot with appointments taking place 10 minutes apart.
“It should be very well controlled, we are only going to schedule appointments during certain time blocks so that it will prevent backlogs and I don’t see any real concerns of having traffic jams,” he said. “We do have a plan on how traffic will be routed through the facility and I fully expect that it will run smoothly.”
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit will triage patients prior to their pre-scheduled appointment.
“Triaging will take place behind the scenes prior to the event so we will have a list of clients and their appropriate times that are coming through the drive-through centre,” he said.
People coming through the drive-through will be assessed similar to COVID-19 assessment centres across Ontario.
“It’s a nasopharyngeal swab that is inserted, it’s like a Q-tip that is inserted halfway to the ear and into the nasopharynx and that’s where we can grab and get the best specimen for COVID-19 and where the most amount of virus could be located and with that sample, we are able to take it to the lab and process it and get results,” Muir said.
A drive-through assessment centre for COVID-19 also helps decrease the amount of personal protective equipment required for healthcare workers while facilitating more testing, Muir explained.
“We will probably have a minimum of three EMS personnel on scene, I will attend as well as two medics performing the swabs as well,” he said.
EMS personnel will still continue conducting home visits in addition to the drive-through program for individuals who very symptomatic.
The testing for this weekend’s program is for anybody with any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite, sore throat, hoarse voice, loss of taste and smell or diarrhea.
Appointments are required for testing and walk-ins will not be seen, according to a media release by the health unit. Individuals are also asked not to present themselves at the health unit office.
For more information on booking a COVID-19 drive through testing time slot for Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19 contact the health unit at 807-625-5900 or 1-888-294-6630 to be considered.
