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London COVID-19 assessment centre opening Monday

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London hospitals and the area’s public health office are opening a new front in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19, a public centre where people who feel unwell can be assessed for the coronavirus.

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London’s first COVID-19 assessment centre will open Monday morning in hopes of keeping people from swamping hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics with coronavirus symptoms.

Oakridge Arena, normally a minor hockey haven at 825 Valetta St., will be open at 11 a.m. People with COVID-19 concerns can be seen by a healthcare provider outside of the usual primary places for diagnosis.

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The centre will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be no medications at the site.

Since the World Health Organization declared a global coronavirus pandemic Thursday, people have been encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing. Mass gatherings, from church services to sports events, have been cancelled in the fallout.

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As of Sunday, only two cases had been diagnosed in London-Middlesex.  The first case in Canada in January was a Western University student who returned from a visit to China, where the virus first publicly surfaced. She self-isolated and has since recovered.

The second case is a Strathroy medical clinic worker who is at home recovering.

The COVID-19 assessment centre will be operated by the London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

Middlesex-London EMS, the Thames Valley Family Health Team and the Middlesex Hospital Alliance were also involved with the plans.

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