Hamilton expands COVID-19 testing with plans to offer drive-thru option
Published April 11, 2020 at 1:53 pm
The City of Hamilton announced on Friday (April 10) that in keeping with the COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update issued Thursday, testing in the city will be ramped up.
The City of Hamilton announced on Friday (April 10) that in keeping with the COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update issued Thursday, testing in the city will be ramped up.
The City also said they are working towards providing drive-thru testing options as well to accommodate this increase in testing, though details for that service will be revealed at a later date.
The new criteria for testing include:
- Symptomatic health-care workers (regardless of care delivery setting) and staff who work in health-care facilities and long-term care homes (these healthcare workers should follow their organization’s internal processes for screening and testing).
- Symptomatic First Responders
- All symptomatic patients with contact with a confirmed case or contact with an individual who have been sent for testing
- All symptomatic community/ambulatory patients with:
- Medical comorbidities OR
- Working in an essential industry
- Symptomatic children attending essential daycare
- Symptomatic household members or family caregivers living with/providing care to those with medical comorbidities
Medical comorbidities include heart disease, chronic lung disease, renal disease, and immune compromise.
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Hamilton’s Public Health Service (PHS) says significant symptoms include new cough, fever, shortness of breath (even when not active), change in taste and smell, loss of smell or taste, new-onset muscle aches and fatigue.
People may also report unexplained or significant headache, sore throat, runny nose or diarrhea. Symptoms in young children may include lethargy and/or decreased feeding.
It is VERY important to remember that the process for determining who should be tested remains the same: A referral from your doctor or Hamilton Public Health Services is required for screening and an appointment at an Assessment Centre.
Hamilton’s two assessment centres are ready and equipped with sufficient supplies to test more people for the virus, PHS says in a press release.
PHS notes that it is important to note that testing does not lead to treatment.
“Everyone is encouraged to continue following public health recommendations around physical distancing and frequent handwashing,” the release says.
There have been 2,323 visits to Hamilton’s Assessment Centres and 1,780 COVID-19 tests completed since opening on March 16, 2020.
As of April 10, there are 218 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton. Of those, 93 have been resolved, according to the city’s website.
Six people in the city have died from the virus and there are currently 20 people hospitalized with COVID-19.
Photo courtesy Hamilton Health Sciences’ Facebook page
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