The Grey Bruce Health Unit says it's enlarging its eligibility criteria for COVID-19 testing beyond the provincial recommendations, to make testing a priority for older adults and vulnerable, high-risk people.
The Health Unit says it will now conduct on-site testing for residents and staff of long-term care, assisted living and retirement homes. Beyond that, testing will be provided at assessment centres to first responders, healthcare workers, those living in communal settings such as shelters or group homes and anyone with serious medical conditions.
The testing performed at the assessment centres to all of those at-risk and vulnerable people will still be limited to those with any new or worsening respiratory symptoms, according to information provided in a release by the Health Unit.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit explains travel history is no longer relevant in the decision to test.
Grey Bruce's COVID-19 assessment centres are located outside of hospitals in Owen Sound, Kincardine and Hanover.
Meantime, the Health Unit reported one new case of COVID-19 in Grey Bruce Tuesday — a male health care worker in his 40s tested positive.
There have now been 13 known cases in the region of health care workers contracting the virus.
Of Grey Bruce's 40 confirmed cases to date, 10 people have already recovered. One person remains in hospital.