While the head of Chatham-Kent’s hospital is pleased to see the local COVID-19 assessment centre close its doors after three years, she stresses that it does not signify the end of the pandemic in the municipality.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance President and CEO Lori Marshall said the Chatham-Kent COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic has evolved several times since first opening in March 2020 at 47 Emma St. in Chatham as the CK COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
The facility was expanded to St. Clair College’s Chatham campus, before moving to its current location at 10 Grand Ave. West, which will now close to the public on April 1.
“I do think it really is a milestone for us three years later to be able to celebrate the fact that we were able to meet the community’s needs and provide that kind of care and service,” said Marshall.
Over the last three years, the Chatham-Kent COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic provided over 115,000 PCR tests and issued dozens of prescriptions for patients eligible for anti-viral treatment for COVID-19.
“Now we’re able to close it because the demand for the testing has really dwindled and it’s time for us to move any testing that is required into normal areas,” said Marshall.
Local can residents can still receive care for COVID-19 symptoms by visiting Family Health Team physicians, nurse practitioner-led clinics, their primary health providers, walk-in clinics, or urgent care clinics.
Marshall added that while the assessment centre is closing, that does not mean the pandemic has ended.
“It’s also important for us now to think about how do we take the lessons we’ve learned over the last three years and translate them into lasting [strategies] that are going to be there to support us as we go forward, living with COVID around us,” she said.
According to the latest report from Chatham-Kent Public Health, 33 new cases of the virus were detected during the week of March 19-25, with an average of five high-risk cases per day. The municipality’s positivity rate is currently 10.2 per cent, compared to the provincial rate of 9.8 per cent.
Health officials emphasize that the number of cases reported is an underestimate due to a limitation on PCR testing eligibility.