A young boy gets a nasal swab. File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / grejak.A young boy gets a nasal swab. File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / grejak.
Sarnia

COVID-19 testing ramps down in Sarnia-Lambton

The Rapids Family Health Team is pausing operations at its COVID-19 Assessment Centre since there is less of a demand to get tested.

Bluewater Health announced the change on Wednesday.

However, the assessment centre will be able to ramp back up in the future should the need arise.

Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade said they'll likely move to a different testing method in the future.

"Over time we want to move into a place where the way we test for COVID is more like the way we test for other respiratory viruses in a respiratory season," said Dr. Ranade. "So, you might go to your clinician with symptoms and someone might do a flu test on you as well as a COVID test and maybe some other test. I think that the ultimate goal is to integrate that into the regular system rather than having these standalone places where you can get a COVID test. That's probably going to be the better approach as we move into the fall."

As of Wednesday, the active COVID-19 case count dropped to 28 in Sarnia-Lambton.

Twin Bridges Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic and Rural Lambton COVID-19 Assessment Centres will remain open.

A full list of locations where people can get tested for COVID-19 can be found on the public health unit's website.

-With files from Josh Boyce

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