Drive-thru testing coming to Dresden, Wheatley

Mobile drive-thru COVID -19 testing clinics were announced Tuesday for Wheatley and Dresden later this month.

More than 1,800 people have already been tested at similar free clinics across Chatham-kent in the past two months.

The Wheatley clinic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 11, and Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the Wheatley Area Arena parking lot at 196 Erie St. N.

The Dresden clinic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at Dresden Raceway at 1244 North St.

The clinics are run by the Chatham-kent Health Alliance, Chatham-kent EMS, Chatham-kent public health, the Chatham-kent, Thamesview and Tilbury family health teams, and the Chatham-kent Community Health Centres.

Anyone who thinks they need a COVID-19 swab test is welcome. No appointments are necessary.

Residents don’t need a vehicle to attend any of the clinics.

There were 506 people tested at the last clinic in Thamesville on July 23-24, raising the total for all local mobile clinics to 1,843.

Previously, 397 were swabbed in Blenheim on July 16-17, 457 in Tilbury on July 9-10, 47 at Delaware Nation at Moraviantown on June 26, and 436 in Wallaceburg on June 11-13.

Clinic visitors stay in their vehicles to be registered and tested. They must bring a valid Ontario health card.

Test results are then available online. Public health workers will only contact people who test positive, show symptoms of COVID -19, was referred for testing by a healthcare professional or was tested at their workplace because of a potential COVID-19 exposure.

The Chatham assessment centre also remains open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 47 Emma St. The last daily appointment is at 4:20 p.m.

Patients should go to assessmentbooking.ca to book an appointment.