Oakridge Arena at 825 Valetta St. in London. (Photo by City of London)Oakridge Arena at 825 Valetta St. in London. (Photo by City of London)
London

Hours being scaled back at COVID-19 assessment centre

Hours of operation at one of London's two COVID-19 assessment centres are being scaled back.

The Middlesex London Health Unit announced on Thursday that the west-end assessment centre at Oakridge Arena will no longer be open on weekends.

"The decision to go with Monday to Friday service at the Oakridge Assessment Centre is to align with the change we’ve seen in both the volume and timing of visits to the centre,” Dr. Alex Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health with the Middlesex-London Health Unit, said in a statement."It also allows us to use our staff, physical resources, and personal protective equipment as wisely as we can."

Should public health officials begin to see an increase in the number of people visiting the assessment centre again the hours can be reevaluated and extended, added Summers.

The assessment centre at the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre will continue to operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The two London assessment centres opened in mid-March. Since then hundreds of people have relied on their services, which has helped to alleviate the number of visits to urgent care centres and emergency rooms, according to the health unit.

Most people who have gone to the assessment centres have not required or received a COVID-19 test.

Those concerned they may have symptoms of COVID-19 are urged by the health unit to use the online provincial self-assessment tool, call Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000. Anyone with severe respiratory illness or a medical emergency should go to hospital, the health unit said.

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