Alberta Health Services (AHS) will close the local temporary COVID-19 testing site at the end of day Monday (Feb. 15) due to decreasing demand.
The testing site opened in October as a temporary measure in response to increased COVID-19 activity within central Alberta, as well as increased demand for testing. Since that time, utilization rates at the testing site have dropped significantly.
The temporary testing site in Wetaskiwin will remain in operation at this time as an option for local residents, along with the permanent testing sites in Red Deer Camrose and Drayton Valley. AHS public health staff also continue to offer community/home-based testing in exceptional circumstances where clients are unable to travel to a testing site.
Individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to self-isolate immediately and visit ahs.ca/covid to book a testing appointment. People without Internet access can call 811 and Health Link staff will book a testing appointment.
Albertans have the option to consent to receive their test results by auto-dialer or SMS text message. Those who do not opt-in to receive results through these automated processes will receive results by a direct phone call.
COVID-19 results are also available through the MyHealth Records tool. Albertans who sign up for MyHealth Records are able to see their COVID-19 test results, as well as other lab work and immunization records, as soon as they are ready. Parents can also access their children’s COVID-19 test results in addition to their own by signing up for MyHealth Records.
Local AHS staff who have been working at the temporary testing site in Ponoka will remain in the community to support pandemic response efforts here, including vaccination.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
- Submitted by Alberta Health Services