OTTAWA -- Ottawa’s first COVID-19 care clinic will open on Monday in Ottawa’s west-end.
The clinic will be located at D. Aubrey Moodie School on Moodie Drive and will be run by staff at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.
Ottawa Hospital medical director of emergency management Dr. Andrew Willmore told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the care clinic will operate as a treatment location for people who have respiratory symptoms, and will take pressure off hospital Emergency Departments.
“Symptoms of respiratory illness include cough, fever and other cold-like symptoms,” said Dr. Willmore.
“This service is for all patients with fever and respiratory symptoms, and you don’t need to meet COVID testing criteria to receive care.”
The COVID-19 care clinic is an assessment centre that will be run as an urgent care clinic, ambulatory assessment with diagnostic capabilities. It will be able to see up to 200 patients a day.
“This will further protect our emergency departments, and will also reduce pressure on family doctor’s offices,” said Dr. Willmore.
Dr. Willmore told reporters some doctor’s offices in the region have reported challenges to maintain their clinics due to the volume of patients needing “droplet precautions,” which require specialized equipment and protocols.
The care clinic is different than the COVID-19 Community Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena, which will continue to conduct COVID-19 swab tests on patients meeting the criteria.
A second care clinic, operated by the Montfort Hospital, is also ready to open if needed.
Ottawa Public Health has reported 242 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
