On May 19, 2020, the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre (GBACHC) opened a COVID-19 Assessment Centre with a drive-up testing site. The testing site is open Monday to Friday from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm, excluding statutory holidays.
People who believe they have COVID-19 are encouraged to contact their own physician to be virtually assessed and to determine if they need testing. If they do not have a physician or access to their physician, they may book a virtual assessment with a GBACHC physician.
The GBACHC COVID-19 Assessment Centre will adhere to the testing guideline criteria established by the Ontario Ministry of Health and endorsed by the Huron Perth Health Unit. These criteria prioritize certain populations based on risk.
What to expect at the testing site:
- Everyone is requested to first take the COVID-19 self-assessment on covid-19.ontario.ca.
- People without access to a physician may call the GBACHC to book a virtual assessment at 519-238-2362.
- People who require testing may come to the GBACHC COVID-19 Assessment Centre drive-up testing site located at 69 Main Street East, Grand Bend. If people would like a pre-booked appointment time, they are asked to complete the appointment request form below in advance. If people do not have a pre-booked appointment time, they may need to wait for a turn to be tested.
- People are asked not to eat or drink anything 30 minutes prior to the test.
- The testing site will have parking lot signage to direct people to the testing area.
- A GBACHC staff member wearing personal protective equipment will approach the vehicle to confirm the person’s health information. The staff member will also provide written instructions for accessing and departing the drive-up testing site and how to obtain test results.
- One vehicle at a time will be allowed in the drive-up testing site.
- People are asked to return home immediately following their test to self-isolate and await their test results.
For more information, please contact:
Cate Melito, CEO: cmelito@gbchc.com or 519-238-1556 ext. 263
Seems like you only want to see patients who have symptoms of COVID-19. Since it has been shown that asymptomatic people can unknowingly pass the virus to others, everyone has the potential to spread it, and therefore at least some of the asymptomatic people should be tested.
Thank you for your question. Criteria for COVID-19 testing is continuously changing. Our testing site now accepts anyone who is concerned they have been infected with the virus. Please see the updated blog post for more information.
Since many people are asymptomatic , I was wondering when will serologic testing for Covid 19 antibodies be available in Grand Bend?
Thank you for your question. At this time, it’s unknown when the province will begin serologic testing for COVID-19.
Is your testing sufficient for the citerion to visit a nursing/long care nursing home?
Hello Anna, we provide the Ontario Public Health approved COVID-19 test. A negative result is sufficient for visiting a long-term care facility. If you would like a test, please complete our appointment request form here: https://gbachc.ca/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=frm_forms_preview&form=covid-19testappointmentrequestform
How long does it take until we receive the test results? This is important as the nursing home we are to visit is a day away and requires the result before we book the visit.
Hi David: Results can take anywhere from 2 to 5 days depending on the number of swabs received by the processing lab. We have no control over the time it takes for result to be received.