The Stevenson Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 assessment centre will reopen Wednesday, Oct. 7 after successfully switching to an appointment-based operation.

The centre will still take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but the hours have been changed to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents can call for a same-day appointment on Wednesday, Oct. 7 between the hours of 7 a.m. and noon, but after this, the hospital will transition to a next day service appointment system.

To book an appointment call .

The line will be open on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., but it will be closed if all available appointments have been booked for the following day.

The centre will be closed Monday, Oct. 12 for Thanksgiving and the registration line will also be closed on Sunday, Oct. 11.

“Our team has worked hard to follow the ministry’s guidelines and implement the new appointment system for our community with minimal delay,” said hospital president and CEO Jody Levac. “The new system will eliminate long line ups for individuals and families and is more optimal now that the weather is changing. We are proud to continue to provide this critical service to our community and I thank everyone for their patience as we transition to the new system.”

To ensure testing resources are available for those who need them the most, the province recently updated testing criteria to prioritize those at the greatest risk, while shifting away from untargeted, asymptomatic testing. People should only seek testing at an assessment centre if:

• they have COVID-19 symptoms;

• have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as notified by public health unit or the COVID Alert app;

• live or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak; an asymptomatic traveller or are in a high risk group.

The hospital has also built capacity to test individuals requiring a pre-surgical swab on Tuesdays and Thursdays to support surgical operations.

To determine whether you meet criteria for a COVID-19 test, visit .

For more information about the COVID-19 assessment centre, visit .