Appointment-only COVID-19 assessment centre opens in PEC

As was the case in Belleville last week, a COVID-19 assessment centre has been opened in Prince Edward County, as an outdoor drive-through facility.

However, the location is not being released publicly as the centre operates on an appointment-only basis and anyone who shows up without a recommendation will not be tested, in the interest of safety of staff and other patients.

The assessment centre will run seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you think you need to be tested for COVID-19 you should call your family doctor, HPE Public Health, or Telehalth Ontario.

Here is the full release from The County:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Ontario, April 4, 2020​ – On April 1, 2020, the Prince Edward Family Health Team, Quinte Health Care, and the County of Prince Edward opened the doors of the Prince Edward COVID-19 Assessment Centre. The Assessment Centre operates​ by appointment only​, as an outdoor drive-through facility.

The assessment centre’s purpose is to assess and, when appropriate, test people who may be infected with COVID-19, in an environment where risk of transmission is low. Our goal is to minimize the number of patients going to their family physician’s offices and the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department.

The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is​ by appointment only​ and will operate 7 days per week, from 9 am to 5 pm. For safety reasons, unscheduled appointments are strictly prohibited. Not every patient who is seen at the assessment centre will be tested.

Patients wondering if they should be assessed are advised to call their family physician, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health at 613-966-5500, or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. The County of Prince Edward​ cannot​ offer appointments or take messages. There is also an assessment centre in Belleville for patients living there, which takes referrals the same way.

Patients can expect to give their basic information to administrative staff, and then talk to the nurse to discuss their symptoms by telephone. If the nurse and doctor decide the patient needs to be seen, they will be given a time to drive to the assessment centre. The assessment is done by the doctor with the patient inside their car. From there, the doctor will provide medical advice and follow-up as needed.

The Prince Edward County COVID-19 Assessment Centre is the result of excellent collaboration between your local family physicians, the Prince Edward Family Health Team, Quinte Health Care, Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health, and the County of Prince Edward. We are very grateful to the County and its wonderful staff, Fields on West Lake for its tent, and to the many volunteers of Prince Edward County who have contributed equipment, scrubs and personal protective equipment.

If you would like to help make gowns or masks for our assessment centre, please contact ppe4pec@gmail.com​ or go to the “PPE for PEC” Facebook page.