COVID assessments changing in Huron Perth
Starting Monday, COVID symptomatic residents in Huron and Perth counties frustrated they no longer qualify for a PCR test, have another diagnosis option in Stratford.
“You have a number of individuals with COVID-19 related symptoms, and yet have lost the opportunity for testing. With their symptoms worsening, they certainly could use their family doctor or the nearest emergency room, so what we’re doing is trying to provide some support for the volumes in our communities by enabling these extra appointments,” says VP of Partnerships and Chief Nursing Executive with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Deborah Wiseman
Symptomatic residents who no longer quality for a COVID PCR test and can’t access rapid tests, can now book an appointment to see a physician at Stratford’s COVID assessment centre at the Rotary Complex at 353 McCarthy Rd.
It’s something the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) offered previously, now they’re offering it up to symptomatic members of the general public who no longer qualify for tests.
“It helps keep those with mild symptoms away from our emergency departments, and it helps our local physicians manage, not only the COVID-related respiratory symptoms as well as flu, but, importantly still see patients for other clinical reasons as well,” says Wiseman.
The HPHA says they only want to see people for clinical assessments at the COVID assessment centre if they have one of the following symptoms:
- Fever for three or more days
- Mild to moderate breathing difficulty
- Poor drinking or dehydration
- A child three to six months old with any symptoms.
People with more severe symptoms are asked to go to their nearest Emergency Room. People with mild symptoms are asked to manage them from home. Appointments are required and walk-ins are not being accepted
“We’re hoping this will re-engage the public and give them another opportunity to see physicians,” says Wiseman.
You can find a link for booking a doctor’s assessment at Stratford’s COVID assessment centre by visiting www.HPHA.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.