COVID-19 Assessment Centre
Open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Hospital Screening Form (Bilingual)
Please complete this form prior to proceeding to screening on the day of your appointment.
Hospital Volunteer Screening Form
Information for Patients, Essential Care Partners and Care Partners During COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Self Assessment Tool
A Guide for Patients and their Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Testing
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre, established by Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in collaboration with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU), is intended to enhance the protection of all patients, staff and community members.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is located in the Medical Centre, beside the main Hospital building. Because the Assessment Centre is a separate space, and has a dedicated entrance, it reduces the risk of infection spread and eases pressure on the Emergency Department. Assessments for COVID-19 symptoms will be conducted by nurses who will make recommendations regarding patient self-monitoring, self-isolation and/or treatment.
Hours of Operation
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is open:
Monday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
To schedule a test by telephone:
Call (807) 935-8101
Or book online by following this link
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is available ONLY to those who have scheduled a booking.
The need to perform COVID-19 swab testing will be determined by medical directives.
Our Hospital is committed to helping patients and families stay connected with virtual visits through through FaceTime, Skype or OTN applications. If you would like to arrange a virtual care visit with a patient admitted to the hospital, please contact the Telemedicine Department at 807-684-6711 or email telemedicine@tbh.net. between the hours of 0800-1600 Monday to Friday.
Guidelines
To protect yourself and others from illness causing germs, please ensure you follow these everyday precautions:
- Practice physical distancing
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
- Practice proper respiratory etiquette (covering your nose/mouth when coughing or sneezing);
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth;•Avoid contact with people who are ill;
- Stay home if you are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness;
- It is recommended to get your flu shot if you haven’t already as the flu virus is still circulating in the community;
- Seek medical care if required and disclose any recent travel history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What should I expect if I need to come to the Hospital?
A. Patients can still expect safe, quality health care. Those who require acute care will always have access to it at our Hospital. COVID-19 screening stations are set up at Hospital entrances and all the necessary infection control precautions are being taken to ensure the health and safety of all staff, professional staff, patients and the community.
Q. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
A. COVID-19 symptoms can include: fever, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, runny nose, chills, or gastrointestinal symptoms (eg. nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea).
Q. How can I get tested for COVID-19?
A. You can schedule your COVID-19 test online by visiting http://tbh.net/bookonline. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms or wish to book by phone, please call (807) 935-8100.
For questions about COVID-19 symptoms, self-isolation and monitoring, or testing criteria, please contact the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at (807) 625-5900 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630.
Q. What is the treatment for COVID-19?
A. There is no currently no confirmed/approved treatment plan, drug, or vaccine for COVID-19. Patients who require hospitalization for the virus are typically given supportive care treatments, such as oxygen and IV fluids.
Q. Should I be wearing a face mask?
A. The use of non-medical masks (cloth masks) when physical distancing of 2 meters cannot be maintained may help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic people. All patients, staff and care partners are required to wear a mask when entering the Hospital, including satellite locations and will be asked to don a new procedure mask every time they enter after performing hand hygiene. For an example of how to use a mask, watch this
https://youtu.be/yMiGto8Iq5Y
Q. What can I do to help the Hospital and my community during COVID-19?
A. The most important thing you can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home and avoid non-essential trips into the community. Always maintain proper physical distancing of 2 meters and wash your hands frequently.
We are also graciously accepting donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To learn more about how you can donate to our Hospital’s COVID-19 response efforts, please visit www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca.
Pandemic Plan
The health and safety of all patients, staff, professional staff, and the community is our utmost priority.
The Hospital’s COVID-19 response is guided by a pandemic plan, which was first developed post-SARS and has been revised several times with new information. The current version, updated in 2017, is influenced by Public Health and Provincial guidelines and contains key documents and stakeholder input, including from the following:
- World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Risk Management (2013);
- Ontario Health Influenza Pandemic Plan (OHPIP) (2015);
- Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Planning Guidelines for the Health Sector (CPIP) (2015);
- Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s (MOHTLC) Emergency Response Plan (2013).
A pandemic plan is an evolving reference document. A pandemic planning process is intended to ensure that roles, responsibilities and relationships are clearly delineated, and communication mechanisms are in place. The Incident Management System is activated to implement the pandemic plan. The Incident Management Team considers and applies current knowledge, new guidelines and best practice recommendations. This ensures the actions taken are specific to the current pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, and the response to it evolves with the situation. Our Hospital is deliberate in every decision and action in its COVID-19 pandemic planning and implementation. The remarkable commitment, expertise and professionalism of staff, professional staff and partners guides our Hospital’s response; for that, we could not be prouder. Above all, our pandemic response is guided by an overarching commitment to the health and safety of all patients, staff, professional staff and the community.
Every day, our Incident Management Team, like experts around the globe, learns from the current situation. No one has experienced a pandemic like this one before. All new knowledge acquired as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic response is recorded and will inform future pandemic planning.
Pandemic Plan
If you believe you have symptoms of the 2019 novel Coronavirus:
- Call Telehealth Ontario for medical advice at 1-866-797-0000 or contact the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at 625-5900 and ask to speak to a public health nurse in the Infectious Disease program;
- Be sure to mention your symptoms and your travel history;
- If you need immediate medical attention, call 911 and mention your symptoms and travel history.
Notice:
Your feedback is valuable to us and in order to protect our community during the COVID-19 Pandemic, we will only be accepting and providing feedback through our feedback form, by electronic mail at QRM@tbh.net, or by telephone (807) 684-6019.
Please provide us with your complete email address and a telephone number when submitting your feedback so that our Quality & Risk Management Team may contact you to acknowledge when your feedback has been received.