CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which is next door to the Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) has been selected by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) as the assessment site for this part of the region.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Chief Medical Officer of Health with the EOHU announced the development in his daily briefing to local media on Friday, March 27.
Dr. Paul explained that the CAMH had not been the first choice, that they were originally looking into putting an assessment site in an old school board building, but ultimately chose the CAMH for its proximity to the hospital, and because it already is a medical facility.
On March 19, the CCH already chose to start winding down operations at the CAMH in order to mitigate the risks involved with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. That day, the CAMH stopped accepting walk-in appointments, and began preparing patients and staff for remote services.
“The health and safety of our patients, families and our staff and physicians is our top priority,” said Jeanette Despatie, President and Chief Executive Officer at the time. “We have infection control policies and procedures in place and have started to activate our pandemic plan.”
Dr. Paul said that the assessment centre could open as early as next week, but that the exact date depended on the burden that COVID-19 was placing on the CCH Emergency Room. Dr. Paul explained that the CCH Emergency Room had seen a small uptick in patients walking in with COVID-19 like symptoms.
As of writing, there have been four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the EOHU region, all in Prescott-Russell, with another 250 tests waiting for results.
“We have a higher percentage of vulnerable people in our community and I want to protect them,” said Dr. Paul.
On Monday, the Cornwall and SD&G Paramedic Services began offering at home testing for COVID-19
