U of O will be first university in Ontario with COVID-19 assessment centre dedicated to staff and students
The University of Ottawa announced late on Thursday afternoon that it will open its own COVID-19 assessment centre at Lees campus. The assessment centre is projected to open in September and will, for the time being, only serve students, staff, and faculty members on campus. The university predicts that two-thirds of its researchers and 5000 students will be present on campus in September.
Located at Block D at 200 Lees Avenue, the U of O says “it will be easily accessed by foot, bike or by using light rail. Free parking will also be available to visitors.”
“Having an on-campus testing facility will support people working and learning on campus and will ensure they have all the tools and resources they need to stay safe,” said U of O President Jacques Frémont in the school’s official press release. “Once the centre is up and running at full capacity, the hope is that the uOttawa assessment centre will also help lighten the load carried by other testing facilities in the city,”
The assessment centre is the result of a collaboration between The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. A physician from The Ottawa Hospital will manage and govern the operation of the assessment centre according to the University.
The assessment centre will be open for six months with a possible extension depending on community needs. The Assessment Centre will be open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Students, staff, and faculty members who wish to get tested for COVID-19 at the Lees assessment centre will need to book online an appointment in advance. For the moment, the centre will only have the capacity to test 50 people a day.
Those who aren’t part of the U of O community can get tested at the Brewer arena assessment centre.
