CCH Asking Residents Not to Come to the Emergency Department for a COVID-19 Test
2021-12-29
As
the highly contagious COVID-19 Omicron variant
continues to fuel exponential growth in exposures to the virus and increased
demands for testing, Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) is asking members
of the community not to come to the Emergency Department for a COVID-19 test only. Emergency Department capacity must be
protected for ill patients requiring care/treatment.
CCH
is also asking members of the community to visit the Eastern Ontario Health
Unit website at www.eohu.ca/en/covid/covid-19-testing-assessment-centres
to determine testing eligibility prior to calling the Assessment Centre.
Although
staff have been working hard to meet growing demands for testing, the
Assessment Centre’s phone lines are extremely busy and its fixed capacity must
be prioritized.
Hospitals
throughout Ontario including CCH are also dealing with a human resource
shortage, and staff exposed to the virus need to be tested and cleared for return
to work as soon as possible so we can continue caring for patients.
“We
understand individuals may be concerned about their current status; however, we
would ask that people do not come to the Emergency Department unless you also
require medical attention,” explains Dr. Lorne Scharf, Chief of Staff and
Emergency Department Physician at CCH.
“We
are asking residents to avoid calling the Assessment Centre and booking an
appointment unless it’s absolutely necessary, or if you have been directed to
do so by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit,” added Jeanette Despatie, President
and Chief Executive Officer of CCH.
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