MARATHON — The Marathon Family Health Team is closing its COVID-19 assessment centre.
The assessment centre will close on Friday, which the organization said is due to the provincial government's changes to COVID-19 measures in long-term care facilities.
The closure comes three years after it was first opened on April 1, 2020. The assessment centre provided PCR testing and clinical assessments for COVID-19 and other flu-like symptoms.
“The Marathon COVID-19 assessment centre played a really important role in keeping our community safe, providing consistent access to care, and, also, preventing the spread of infection in our communities and also our help care facilities when it was needed the most,” said Marathon Family Health Team promotion coordinator Michele Lajeunesse.
Lajeunesse said the assessment centre had more than 4,300 visits in its three years.
The changes to provincial COVID-19 policy for long-term care include no longer requiring testing for asymptomatic staff, caregivers and visitors, no longer recommending masking outdoors for residents, caregivers and visitors, and no longer requiring daily temperature checks or screening for residents returning after an absence.
The family health team said the organization remains committed to testing and assessing respiratory illnesses, with same or next day appointments continuing to be available for pepole with urgent symptoms.
With files from Al Cresswell, CFNO Radio
