The COVID-19 pandemic has three organizations working together for the benefit of the community.
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and Quinte Health Care have partnered to open portions of Quinte Secondary School in central Belleville temporarily as an assessment centre.
Individuals who have been pre-screened for COVID-19 and who meet certain criteria are being directed to the temporary assessment centre for further testing. It is important for the public to know that it is not a walk-in clinic.
The City of Belleville was a major contributor by providing supplies and equipment, as well as providing expertise for traffic flow, and fire prevention and planning.
Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk says part of why we’re such a great community is because of our partnerships. Hastings and Prince Edward School Board, Quinte Health Care and the City of Belleville all worked together to establish the COVID-19 Assessment Centre here in our city.
The location is safe, accessible and meets all the requirements for such a facility.
Residents throughout Belleville and the region are now being referred here for testing which is helping us get through this challenging time.
The continued need and viability of the COVID-19 assessment centre will be re-evaluated by Quinte Health Care on a regular basis.
Jeff Hohenkerk, QHC Vice-President says they are extremely appreciative to be working in close partnership with several local community partners including the HPE District School Board and municipal leaders as our communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The community-wide collaborative approach is aimed at meeting the health care needs of individuals in the community who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 in a way that minimizes the risk for our dedicated front-line health care providers and for the patients QHC serves.
Quinte Secondary School was closed at the end of June 2018 following a public accommodation review and decision to consolidate it with then-named Moira Secondary School, now known as Eastside Secondary School.
Lucille Kyle, Chair of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board says the only seemingly consistent thread through it all has been uncertainty but when QHC approached the board to utilize Quinte Secondary School and with an eye to a bright future for that facility, they felt ethically responsible to play their part.
Quinte Health Care reminds the community that if anyone has symptoms of COVID-19, don’t go anywhere yet, stay away from others and do the following:
- If you are able, do the online assessment.
- Call your health care provider or the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health at 613-966-5500; TTY 711; 1-800-267-2803 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. 80% of people with this virus have mild to moderate symptoms, need to isolate themselves at home, and do not need to be tested for the virus.
- Your health care provider, public health or Telehealth Ontario will either refer you to your local assessment centre or have you call the central COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) hotline at 613-961-5544 to seek additional care after being screened. Phone lines are answered between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., 7 days/week.
- Individuals deemed to have moderate symptoms will be scheduled for a virtual consultation with a doctor (either over the phone or online) or scheduled for an on-site appointment at a local COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC). Not all appointments at a CAC will result in swabbing/testing—only those meeting the Ministry of Health criteria may be swabbed.
- Individuals deemed to have severe symptoms, requiring hospital-level care, will be sent to the hospital.
