Two mobile COVID-19 Assessment Clinics are setting up in Chatham-Kent to test students and staff who have been isolated as a result of four positive cases of the virus in the local school community.
One of the clinics is set up at the Blenheim Arena/Pool and the other is at Ursuline College Chatham.
CK Public Health Public Relations Officer Stephanie Egleton said the clinics will continue to test the affected students and staff on Monday in both Blenheim and Chatham, but noted that the clinic is not for the general public.
Appointments have already been set aside for the individuals who require a test and there will not be any walk-ins or appointments booked at either of the mobile clinic sites.
Members of the public who have not been specifically directed to attend the sites are being asked to avoid the clinic areas to allow the individuals with bookings to be tested and so that public health officials and paramedics "can assist them as efficiently as possible."
Dozens of students and staff members were dismissed from Tecumseh Public School in Chatham, St. Anne Elementary School in Blenheim and Ursuline College Chatham earlier this week after four students/staff tested positive for COVID-19.
The students and staff who were dismissed as a result of the positive tests have since been directed to quarantine for 14 days from the day they were dismissed in order to prevent further spread of the virus in the community.
Chatham-Kent's Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said they won't be able to return to school until that quarantine period is over, even if their test results come back negative.
"That [14 days] is the possible incubation period," said Dr. Colby, adding that the isolation is a precautionary measure. "We believe it has worked and we have gotten ahead of this and we still have no cases that have been transmitted within the school environment -- we don't have a school-based outbreak."
Dr. Colby said while the students and staff who were sent home are being directed to quarantine, other members of their households do not have to self-isolate.
"We don’t isolate contacts of contacts... we isolate contacts of cases and probable cases," said Dr. Colby. "Just because someone is isolated on a precautionary basis, that doesn't mean that everyone in their household is isolated."
Dr. Colby said the health unit will keep in touch with those households, though, to make sure no one is developing symptoms.