Slow but steady start to pop-up testing
Clinic at Islamic Institute one of two to target ‘hot spot’ of Scarborough
Testing for COVID-19 is being TT expanded across the province, ee including into pop-up locations in neighbourhoods experiencing high burdens of the illness.
A one-day pop-up testing site at the Islamic Institute of To- aa ronto, located in the Malvern area, drew a steady stream of people on Friday, said Fareed Amin, chairperson of the board AA at the institute. a
“It was a bit uncomfortable, but I didn’t think it was unpleasant,” said Amin, who got tested. “I couldn’t ask people to get tested and not do it myself.”
He said the event drew people from across the area, not just the Muslim community, but it was a good opportunity to touch base with adherents. “Most of the people who saw me today, that was the question: ‘When are we coming back?’ ” said Amin.
Places of worship are closed until further notice by the province, to stem the tide of the illness, which had claimed 810 lives in the city as of Thursday.
Amin said the institute was given little notice of the event, which took place in the gymna- ww sium. About 100 swabs were taken on Friday.
The office of the premier announced Friday that it is implementing the next phase of its COVID-19 strategy to detect and quickly stop the spread of aa the virus by making testing available to more people in more locations.
Referrals from a physician are no longer needed.
People who are asymptomatic but fear they may have been exposed to the virus may now be tested.
And targeted campaigns to test vulnerable populations, including in long-term-care homes and other shared living spaces like shelters and group homes, will be conducted, according to a news release from the province.
The release noted that the province expects private-sector workplace testing to supplement public testing. Mobile testing teams are also being developed, vv to be rapidly deployed to breakout areas.
The next pop-up in Scarborough is scheduled to take place at Global Kingdom Ministries, 1250 Markham Rd., on Tuesday.
A pop-up assessment centre scheduled for Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church has been cancelled, according to a Scarborough Health Network spokesperson.
Parts of Scarborough were recently identified by Toronto Public Health as hot spots — areas with higher numbers of cases, including Woburn and Malvern.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, pointed out that doesn’t mean these areas should be avoided: the in- f fections could have been contracted in any part of the city.
The pop-up testing centres in Scarborough are being offered in partnership between Toronto Public Health, the Scarborough Health Network and the provincial ministry of health.
“People in Scarborough access hospital services at a lower rate than any community in Canada, and initiatives like this reduce barriers and make care more easily accessible,” said Liz Buller, president and CEO of the Scarborough Health Network.