Whether people need a COVID test or a COVID vaccine, they can go to the same place to do so.
Island Health announced that as of next week, its testing clinic and its immunization clinic will be in the same location at Nanaimo North Town Centre in the unit that used to be an Urban Planet store.
The testing and collection clinic has already moved there and the immunization clinic will open there on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
COVID-19 testing, by appointment only, and access is via the exterior of the mall. As for the immunization clinic, appointments are recommended but not necessary, and access will be from inside the mall.
“Island Health is consolidating two clinics in Nanaimo that are critical in the fight against COVID-19 … with a wall between them and separate entrances/exits to ensure everyone’s health and safety,” noted a press release from the health authority.
Those trying to determine whether they need a COVID-19 test are asked to first use an online assessment tool at http://bc.thrive.health. If testing is recommended, patients should call 1-844-901-8442 from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. to schedule a test.
For information about booking an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://covid19.islandclinics.ca or www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca, or call 1-833-838-2323.
The testing clinic was previously located on Vancouver Island University campus and the immunization clinic at Beban Park social centre and Island Health thanked the university and the city for supporting public health’s pandemic response.
Nanaimo continues to be the Island’s hot spot for new COVID-19 cases. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported that there were 140 new cases in the Nanaimo local health area for the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 6. The local health authority on the Island with the next highest number of new cases was Greater Victoria with 67. The hot spots as far as new cases per capita were Vancouver Island North with 32 cases and Vancouver Island West with 10 cases.
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editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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