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COVID-19 clinic services at OSMH closing due to declining demand

Effective May 1, the clinic will stop providing COVID-19 PCR testing, and as of June 16, it will no longer offer COVID-19 vaccinations
2020-03-19 Orillia COVID-19 assessment clinic 1
A nurse speaks with a visitor Thursday, March 19, 2020, at the COVID-19 assessment clinic set up at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. Nathan Taylor/OrilliaMatters File Photo

NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA SOLDIERS’ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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After nearly 110,000 tests, and close to 24,000 vaccinations, the Couchiching OHT (Ontario Health Team) care clinic at OSMH (Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital) is winding down its COVID-19 services due to a lack of demand.

Effective May 1, the clinic will stop providing COVID-19 PCR testing, and as of June 16, it will no longer offer COVID-19 vaccinations.

Access to COVID-19 testing and vaccination after the above-noted dates may still be available from local pharmacies or other agencies as advertised. You may reference www.Ontario.ca/COVID for the most up-to-date information regarding testing, vaccination and therapeutics, or you may call Health Connect Ontario or 811 to speak with a registered nurse for health-care services you may need.

“Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, in partnership with the Couchiching OHT, have offered responsive COVID-19 services to our community for over three years,” said Melanie Moore, director of integrated planning at OSMH and co-director of the Couchiching OHT.

“The efforts of our staff, clinicians and partners have ensured that the communities we serve have had access to care when and where needed. We thank our community who demonstrated great collaboration and support for one another during the heights of the pandemic, and thankfully, we are now able to move beyond the need for urgent COVID-19 services to be provided.”

The clinic first opened in March 2020 shortly after the global pandemic was declared, and eventually transferred over to Rotary Place for the majority of the pandemic in order to accommodate the overwhelming demand for service, before moving back to OSMH.

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