Waterloo region hospitals create 'one stop shop' for COVID care

Waterloo regionhospitals are creating a centralized COVID-19 clinic that will provide testing, medication and vaccines for the virus.

The clinic will open a temporary location at 66 Pinebush Rd. in Cambridge. The location was the site of a mass vaccination clinic until March2022 when it closed due to dwindling numbers of people attending to get a shot.

Vickie Murray, the integrated director of pharmacy services at Grand River and St. Mary's hospitals, said the clinic will provide COVID-19 testing, medication and vaccines.

It will also permit regional hospitals to close their own clinics on Sept. 30. The regional COVID care pilot clinic is scheduled to open on Oct. 1.

The clinic will help "improve capacity challenges at local hospitals and enable hospital teams to focus on providing acute care for our community and increase access to that care," Murray said in a press release.

Murray says the region will continue to seek acentral location.

The hospitals note the clinic does not replace care that should be provided by a family doctor or nurse practitioner, which includes diagnosis and treatmentwhen people experience symptoms of respiratory illness.

Recent COVID-19 numbers

On Friday, Region of Waterloo Public Health reported there were 50 people in hospital with COVID-19. One person was in the intensive care unit either with the virus or recovering from it.

There were 13 active outbreaks in the region:

• Nine in long-term care and retirement homes.
• Two at Grand River Hospital.
• Two in congregate settings.

One new death related to COVID-19 was reported on Friday, bringing the total in the region to 474 since the pandemic began in March, 2020.