WINDSOR, ONT. -- After hitting “record-breaking volumes” of those seeking a COVID-19 swab a few weeks ago, Windsor Regional Hospital has since experienced a drop in visitors and will be reducing hours at the assessment centre.
As of Thursday the WRH COVID-19 Assessment Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, instead of the regular 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hours on the weekend will remain unaffected at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking at the centre is still free.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at WRH Ouellette Campus extended its hours a few weeks ago given the volume of people seeking tests. On May 27, the assessment centre reached a peak of 319 visitors, a news release from the hospital states.
Specially, WRH says there has been a significant decline in visitors in the evening, giving the example of 128 visitors seen Tuesday, only five of those came to the assessment centre after 7 p.m.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre opened March 16 and as of Tuesday evening has swabbed 5,619 out of 6,270 people who sought COVID-19 tests, a rate of almost 90 per cent, WRH states.
While a specific set of guidelines had originally been in place, the criteria for testing has expanded over the past few weeks and now includes those who are asymptomatic.
As has always been the case in Windsor, a referral from Telehealth Ontario, primary care, or the Health Unit is not needed in order to be tested.
