THUNDER BAY – The number of tests being conducted locally is growing as a new COVID-19 Assessment Centre opens its doors just outside of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
40 area individuals had been tested as of Tuesday afternoon, most in the past few days. That figure is a jump from the 12 who had been tested as of Friday. Of those tests, hospital leadership said 12 have been confirmed negative, while results for the remainder are pending.
Local health officials emphasize that only those who meet strict criteria are being tested. That generally means those who both display symptoms, such as a cough and fever, and also have a recent travel history.
Those who believe they may have symptoms should contact the Thunder Bay District Health Unit or Telehealth for advice, rather than visiting the hospital. Only those who receive a referral from those agencies are currently being seen at the assessment centre, explained Jackie Park, who is leading efforts at the centre.
“What I’d like people to remember [is] if you have not had recent travel and you just have a cough, by coming there you’re putting yourself at risk,” she explained. “This is really for patients who have had recent travel as the criteria stands now.”
Park said the assessment centre had seen 25 people as of Tuesday afternoon, and tested five. She expressed confidence in the infection control procedures in place at the centre, which includes masks for patients and personal protective equipment for staff.
Park also reminded those who are admitted to the centre to maintain the recommended two-metre distance from others while waiting. The centre currently includes a complement of two nurses at a time, as well as a nurse outside directing visitors at the entrance to the Emergency Department.
“It’s very controlled at this point,” she said. “We don’t want to have very many people at one time in the assessment centre.”
Executive Vice-President Dr. Stewart Kennedy is heading the hospital's Incident Management Team, which receives daily updates on key information and oversees the institution's COVID-19 response. He's grateful Thunder Bay residents seem to be heeding advice from public health officials.
“We’ve seen a decrease in visits to the hospital, because the public is listening,” he said. “They really want to begin to self-isolate and they’re only coming to the hospital for the most appropriate things, which we continue to encourage.”
Kennedy emphasized that the hospital is still open to those who require medical attention unrelated to the coronavirus, but it will likely cancel some non-critical services such as elective surgeries in the coming days.
COVID-19, declared a pandemic last week by the World Health Organization, is testing the hospital in unprecedented ways. But on Tuesday, Kennedy expressed confidence in the institution’s response.
“We’re all learning as we go forward,” he said. “We’ve never been faced with a virus of this significance that is highly contagious. But I know we’re well-supported by highly-trained, skilled health professionals.”
