Durham Region Transit (DRT) and Region of Durham Paramedic Services (RDPS) have launched a mobile Covid-19 testing clinic. It will operate up to seven days a week.
Since the start of the pandemic, RDPS have been providing testing at various locations in Durham Region. With physical testing space becoming harder to obtain, and the weather turning cold, there was a need to secure a more permanent space, said a joint statement.
The mobile clinic is staffed by at least two paramedics, operated by a trained DRT operator, and maintained by DRT mechanics. It offers safe and secure testing, of up to 30 people per hour, at key locations identified by Durham Region Public Health.
The mobile clinic can provide on-site testing at schools, long-term care homes, workplaces and can reach vulnerable populations who have limited access to a testing site. It also has capacity to add additional paramedics, if needed.
While the clinic is currently focused on Covid-19 testing, the goal is to transform it into a place where RDPS will be able to administer Covid-19 vaccinations.
CAREA CHC and Lakeridge Health have also collaborated on this initiative to help increase access for testing throughout Durham Region.
“We are grateful to our paramedics, who have been working tirelessly throughout this pandemic. This is an amazing partnership, between DRT and the RDPS, that uses a forward-thinking approach, to quickly and effectively deploy testing services to those who may not be able to otherwise get to a testing site. This is another way we are working to help prevent the spread of Covid-19,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer.