Holland College, UPEI help satisfy testing demand with temporary clinics
Province says all results processed Monday and Tuesday have been negative
In order to help satisfy the increased testing demand in the Charlottetown area, both UPEI and Holland College are running pop-up clinics this week.
Islanders in their 20s in the capital region have been encouraged to be tested after a cluster of positive COVID-19 cases were identified in that age group over the weekend. This led to long lines and wait times at the province's testing clinics on both Monday and Tuesday.
The Chief Public Health Office clarified its request on Tuesday, saying people in the age group should wait a few days unless:
- You live with multiple roommates in the same age group.
- You work in a crowded environment with people of the same age group.
- You are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Holland College hosted a temporary clinic in order to get its students, staff and faculty tested. UPEI will host its own on Thursday.
"We want to take some pressure off some of the other sites. We want to be able to provide tests for our students who are in that cohort," said Holland College vice-president Doug Currie.
"By taking pressure off the other sites, that would allow opportunities for younger and older age groups to be tested."
Those tested were assigned a time to show up, based on their last names. The clinic ran until 6 p.m.
Currie said the clinic was run by Health PEI and that the college has a mandate to support both Health PEI and the Chief Public Health Office throughout the pandemic.
He said if the facility is needed again the college would "be willing to support their request."
We'd like to make it as easy as possible for the students,.— Marilyn Barrett, UPEI
More than 200 hundred students were tested Wednesday, along with a few members of the community.
Officials with Holland College said they don't plan to run the clinic on Thursday, but UPEI will be offering its clinic from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That clinic is also primarily for UPEI staff, students and faculty in the 20-29 age range, but Health and Wellness Centre director Marilyn Barrett said it is also open to others in that age bracket in the region.
"Some of them do not have good transportation and might be feeling stressed and wanting to be tested, so we thought it'd be great to be able to offer it here. We'd like to make it as easy as possible for the students," she said, adding the clinic is only scheduled to be open Thursday.
"However, if we felt that we needed to run an additional day, then we would do that. It'll all depend on the number of people that visit tomorrow."
The UPEI clinic will be held in the school's gym, using doors at the back to enter, and everyone is asked to wear a mask.
Shortened wait at Park Street
Lines for Charlottetown's other testing site on Park Street were also shorter today, with some getting tested in about 90 minutes Wednesday afternoon.
Officials with the Chief Public Health Office told CBC News that getting people through has been more manageable since Tuesday evening.
A release sent late Wednesday afternoon said 1,300 tests were processed provincewide on Tuesday and all results were negative. Results are still pending on 2,000 tests.
The province reported no new cases of COVID-19 for P.E.I. Wednesday.
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With files from Brittany Spencer