The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has expanded the criteria it uses to test for COVID-19 at its assessment centre.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit says the testing already takes place for various groups listed below:
Symptomatic health care workers and staff providing direct and non-direct patient care
Symptomatic residents and staff in long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and other communal living settings (e.g., correctional facilities, homeless shelters, group homes)
Symptomatic travelers returning from outside Northwestern Ontario within the past 14 days
Symptomatic members of remote, isolated, rural and/or indigenous communities
Symptomatic first responders including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics
Symptomatic close contacts of confirmed or probable cases
The testing is now expanded to include:
Symptomatic individuals (e.g., children, partners, or other household members) living with Health Care Workers or with staff who work in health care facilities
Symptomatic critical infrastructure workers – this includes grocery stores, food services, maintenance and transportation workers, and utilities
Those who are tested are referred by health unit staff.
