N.B. COVID-19 round-up: Moncton doctor sets up screening clinic to help cut test wait times
CBC
A doctor in Moncton hopes to help alleviate the wait times for COVID-19 testing in the region by setting up a pop-up COVID screening clinic.
Dr. Isabelle-Anne Girouard, who works at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, and a group of nurses have set up a site in the parking lot of the Platinum Educational Centre in Dieppe.
Girouard says she wanted to start the clinic after her own family's encounter with COVID.
"My little girl had a runny nose and I got her swabbed, and to my surprise, it came back positive without really knowing because we hadn't been in contact with anyone that was [suspect] of COVID. So I thought I'd try to help out the other moms out there who needed help."
Given the recent surge in COVID cases across the province the demand for tests has also risen.
As of Wednesday, people in some health zones are waiting an average of four to five days to get an appointment, Department of Health Bruce Macfarlane has said.
On average, it takes another five business days to get the results, unless a case is marked as high priority, in which case the average turnaround time is 24 to 48 hours, Macfarlane said.
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