EAST CENTRAL – More COVID-19 testing sites in rural areas are on their way, said a Saskatchewan Health Authority official.
As of March 18, there are three testing sites in the province: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
“The testing sites in rural and northern [locations] are being set up this week, but they are doing testing through the existing primary health care centres,” said Derek Miller, the authority’s emergency operations centre lead, during a media teleconference on March 18.
“That’s how we’ve been meeting the demand up until now. Now we’re moving towards a more consolidated number of testing sites.”
The sites are for referrals only and not for walk-in testing.
Miller said he expects more information to be released towards the end of the week.
The emergency operations centre lead also told media the authority is making plans for rural areas.
“We’ve taken a provincial approach to planning for the pandemic and that includes all of the rural and northern areas in addition to the urban centres,” he said. “We’re looking at it from a provincial perspective and we’re also cascading that down to an area and also a facility level so that, across the province, facilities are ready to respond to COVID-19.”
