The COVID-19 assessment centre at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is expanding to double its capacity and to assess patients with moderate respiratory symptoms who might otherwise go to the hospital’s emergency department.
According to a media release from the hospital on Friday (November 13), the expansion in the capacity and scope of the assessment centre is in response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for “an anticipated seasonal surge in patient volumes in our community.”
The expanded centre will double the medical assessment and testing capacity to accommodate as many as 200 people every day, and will divert away from the emergency department those patients with moderate respiratory symptoms who require a physician assessment.
While the assessment centre will be moving into a larger space, it will still be in the same location at the northwest corner of the hospital. It will also provide improved accessibility for patients, the hospital states.
To accommodate the move into the new space, the centre will be closed next Tuesday (November 17) and will reopen the following day at noon.
The booking process and screening criteria will remain the same at the expanded centre.
The PRHC assessment centre is for people who have COVID-19 symptoms and need to be assessed by a doctor. Contact the centre directly by phone at 705-876-5086 to determine whether an appointment is required. This phone line is staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
People with severe COVID-19 symptoms should call 911 or go to the hospital’s emergency department.
People with mild COVID-19 symptoms, or who meet the other criteria for COVID-19 testing, and don’t need to be assessed by a doctor can book an appointment at the testing centre at Northcrest Arena (100 Marina Blvd., Peterborough).
For people without COVID-19 symptoms, testing is available by appointment at Shoppers Drug Mart (741 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough).
For more information on testing options in Peterborough, visit www.prhc.on.ca/about-us/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/.
