Hamilton shutting down 2 COVID-19 testing centres

Hamilton is shutting down two assessment centres amid the decline of COVID-19 cases and outbreaks.

The city will be scaling back the number of testing and assessment centres after being directed by the Ontario Health West to consolidate symptomatic testing.

The East End Assessment Centre at 2757 King St. East will be permanently closed on July 10 and the West End Assessment Centre at 690 Main St. West will be shut down on July 15.

Hamilton’s primary testing centre will be St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Mountain COVID-19 Testing Centre located at Mohawk College on Fennell Ave. West until December 31.

The city says the site will make 400 appointments available daily, with the ability to ramp up to 1,000 tests daily as needed.

At peak times, Hamilton was administering roughly 1,300 COVID-19 tests per day at assessment centres across the city.

Over the last seven days, 286 tests have been completed in Hamilton.

The city says symptomatic testing will also continue to take place to assist vulnerable populations such as those in long-term care facilities and retirement homes, homebound individuals, homeless individuals through the Shelter Health Network and mobile testing teams operated by Hamilton Paramedic Service. Asymptomatic testing will also continue at select pharmacies.