As province opens COVID-19 testing to all, health unit warns people not to have false sense of security

Health officials in Windsor-Essexare looking to increase testing forCOVID-19 after Premier Doug Ford's announcement that evenasymptomatic people can get a test if they want one.

"The fact that he's basically saying that anyone that shows up to the assessment centre would be tested makes it a lot easier for the clinical staff," said David Musyj, CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital.

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Previous statements from the Premier only allowed for people displaying one or more symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested. On Sunday,he saidmass testing was the province's best defence against the virus. As of Saturday, the province was still nearly 5,000 testsshort of its daily goalof 16,000 tests a day.

WATCH |David Musyj, President and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, talksabout the relaxation of rules surrounding COVID-19 testing.

COVID-19 tests available for all who want one

4 years ago

Duration 2:00

Windsor Regional Hospital president and CEO David Musyj says that anyone who wants a test at their assessment centre can now get one -- even if they are asymptomatic.

Musyj said until now, a little more than90 per cent of people who would come in would get swabbed.

"Right now, they're basically saying, you come in, you're going to get swabbed, so it will be 100 per cent."

Musyj said anyone coming in to the hospital's assessment centre, which is in a white tent directly besidethe Ouellette emergency department, would be swabbed and tested for COVID-19.

"It's a very quick in and out," he said, adding that anyone who wants to see a primary care physician for another medical issue would be able to do so there as well.

Having a test only means that today, on the day of testing, you are not infected.- Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health

"Instead of going to your primary care physician and or a clinic or possibly the emergency department you can get that looked at."

The assessment centre is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Musyj said they're seeing about 80 to 100 people daily, but hours could be expanded.

"We could go 24/7 if we need to," he said.

Negative test result doesn't mean you're not at risk, warns WECHU

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), said there has been about 400 tests being conducted in the region daily between the assessment centres in Leamington and Windsor.

Allowing asymptomatic people to get tested will serve as a way of better understanding the community spread of the virus, Ahmed added. But he fears it may lure people into a false sense of security.

WATCH | Ahmedwarnsthat increased testingis not a reason to relax when it comes to physical distancing:

Dr. Wajid Ahmed says getting tested doesn't mean your safe

4 years ago

Duration 2:40

Dr. Wajid Ahmed warns people who are getting tested not to change their behaviour after the test or to let their guard down when it comes to social distancing.

"We want to make sure that if it's available, then yeah, people should go and get it," Ahmed said. "But they shouldn't go with a false expectation or a false understanding of what this test means."

He said the test doesn't differentiate whether you are at risk of contracting COVID-19 or not, adding it's a diagnostic testnot a screening tool.

"We don't want to give that message that if you comeback negative, you are not at risk ... Having a test only means that today, on the day of testing, you are not infected."

At Hotel-DieuGrace Healthcare, the hospitalwill discuss the possibility of offering testing for its staff,physiciansand patients onsite, according to president and CEO Janice Kaffer.

Up until now, those who were tested atthe hospital had to have symptoms and any staff who wanted to or needed testinghad to go to anassessment centre.