RVH newly-relocated COVID-19 testing clinic at 29 Sperling Drive has moved to an appointment-based system in compliance with the provinces’ new guidelines for assessment centres.

Beginning Sunday October 4, RVH discontinued unscheduled testing. The clinic now offers both future and same-day appointment bookings. Clinic hours remain the same – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven-days-a-week with the same-day appointment portal open daily at 6 a.m. The portal will close when all available time slots for that day are full. The province’s new guidelines aim to improve test turnaround times and prioritize testing for those at greatest risk.

“RVH was already providing pre-booked appointments through online and phone booking. To ensure we can continue to meet the extraordinary demand for testing, we have created a same-day appointment booking option,” says Liz Ferguson, vice president, Patient Programs, Flow & chief nursing executive. “Moving to an appointment-based system only will help people avoid long waits during this time of year when the weather is so unpredictable. Pre-booking appointments is a convenient way for people to ensure they are tested and receive their results in a timely fashion.”

In November, the Sperling Drive clinic will become a full COVID-19 Assessment Centre. People with symptoms that require assessment beyond a COVID-19 test can be seen inside the building by a team of clinicians.

To ensure testing resources are available for those who need them the most, Ontario health officials recently updated testing criteria to prioritize those at the greatest risk, while shifting away from untargeted, asymptomatic testing. That means people should only seek testing at an assessment centre if they have COVID-19 symptoms; have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as notified by public health unit or the COVID Alert app; live or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak; an asymptomatic traveller or are in a high risk group.  To determine whether you meet criteria for a COVID-19 test please go to Ontario.ca.

All COVID-19 appointments at RVH’s Sperling Drive testing clinic can be booked through the health centre’s website www.rvh.on.ca or through the Assessment Centre phone line at 705-797-3120 between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For more information:

Donna Danyluk
Corporate Communications
DanylukD@rvh.on.ca