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COVID tests nearly triple in June at Collingwood assessment centre

Since opening, the Collingwood COVID-19 assessment centre has completed 5,750 tests both on site at the drive-thru tent and at congregate settings
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The drive-thru COVID-19 assessment centre at the Erie Street medical building is operated by Georgian Bay Family Health Team. Erika Engel/CollingwoodToday

June was a busy month for Collingwood’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre, which completed more than 3,000 COVID-19 tests in a month. 

According to Marie LaRose, executive director of the Georgian Bay Family Health Team, the local assessment centre performed 2,328 tests at the drive-thru tent and another 725 as outreach in congregate settings in the service area between June 1 and 27.

In May, staff at the testing facility completed 978 tests and outreach teams completed another 615. 

In April, the testing centre announced it was operating far below capacity despite those with symptoms being able to self-refer for a COVID test. 

This month the province announced anyone, even people without symptoms, could get a COVID-19 test at will. The provincial government also started requiring COVID testing for those who wanted to visit family in congregate care settings such as nursing homes or group homes. 

The Georgian Bay Family Health Team operates the COVID-19 assessment centre as a drive-thru facility at the medical building at 186 Erie Street 

The facility opened Tuesday, March 31, after briefly being located at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital entrance. Since March 31, the Collingwood COVID-19 Assessment Centre has completed 4,262 tests on site and 1,488 outreach tests for a total of 5,750 COVID tests. 

The assessment centre is located at the Collingwood Health Centre at 186 Erie Street, and testing is done by appointment only at the tent. Those who are being tested can remain in their vehicles for the whole process as the tent is set up to drive through. Those without vehicles can still be tested by appointment.

To make an appointment, sign up on the GBFHT website, or call 705-444-5885. Your family physician can also refer you to the centre for a COVID-19 test.

The assessment centre is no longer open on weekends, but there are appointments available Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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