New COVID-19 Care Clinic opening for children in Orleans

A stethoscope is seen in this file image.

OTTAWA -

A new care clinic for children is opening in Orléans next week, with the goal of alleviating pressure on the busy CHEO emergency department and helping families who cannot get an appointment for their children with cold symptoms.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce says the new East Ottawa Kids COVID Care Clinic will open on Monday, allowing families to access an "in-person alternative" to a hospital emergency department.

It will be located at the Ottawa Medical Group office at 4289 Innes Rd., and will be open seven days a week, during the following hours:

• Monday to Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The clinic will provide in-person assessment and care by a physician for the following groups:

• Children and youth between the ages of 2 months and 17 years old
• Patients that cannot access an in-person appointment with their primary health care provider (family doctor, nurse practitioner or pediatrician)
• Children and youth that have a new symptom such as fever, cough, vomiting, belly pain, earache, or sore throat
• If your child/youth needs a COVID swab

There will be no walk-in appointment capacity at the East Ottawa Kids COVID Care Clinic, and appointments can be booked online at EastOttawaKids.com.

CHEO President Alex Munter says the new clinic is an alternative to the CHEO emergency department for parents who can't get an appointment at the doctor's office for their child's cold- and flu-like illnesses.

The clinic will be operated by the Ottawa Medical Group in partnership with the Kids Come First Health Team, which includes CHEO.

Head's up, east-end #Ottawa families.
New alternative to @CHEO's busy Emergency Dept for parents who can't get into the doctor's office for their child's cold- and flu-like illness. #ottnews #Orleans https://t.co/VRUGJn45Cs

— Alex Munter (@AlexMunter) November 6, 2021