Starting today, Sudbury area residents will be tested for the COVID-19 virus at a new location in the city's south end.
Health Sciences North (HSN) said it made the decision to move the COVID-19 Assessment centre from Walford Road to 2050 Regent Street, a former freight warehouse, close to the Buzzy Brown's Brasserie. Motorists will be able to turn into the area from a set of traffic lights located on Regent.
HSN said the new venue will allow for more convenient testing with the arrival of colder and snowy weather.
“The bulk of the tests at our COVID-19 Assessment Centre are done by drive-through testing which takes place outside. This approach has been really effective and efficient as it allows us to test the most people in the safest way possible," said Mark Hartman, Senior Vice President of Patient Experience at Health Sciences North.
"But in order to continue with this approach during the cold winter months, we needed an area that will provide some shelter to staff and patients,” he added.
The new venue has large garage doors, which will allow vehicles to move inside, with the patients staying in their vehicles as they get test swabs taken by medical staff.
"There will still be plenty of airflow which maintains safety, but our staff will be able to keep warm and not get covered in snow while doing the testing,” said Nicole Sykes, Manager of HSN’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
HSN said the process for getting tested will remain the same as in previous locations. Walk-ins are not allowed. Patients will need to book an appointment to be tested either by filling out a form at www.hsnsudbury.ca or by calling 705-671-7373. Patients will be referred to the new HSN site or to NEOMO or Primacy Clinics for testing, said HSN.
Staff with the COVID-19 Assessment Centre will provide clear directions to patients on how to access the new site when they call to book their appointments, said HSN. When going to the new site for testing, patients are asked to enter the new site via the lights at Regent Street and Old Burwash Road, next to Buzzy Brown’s Brasserie.
