COVID-19

COVID-19 Testing is By Appointment Only. 

How to book an appointment

• First, visit the provincial COVID-19 website to learn if you qualify for testing under the current Provincial guidelines
• Call 705-328-6217 or request an appointment online
• Do not leave multiple messages or submit multiple forms
• Appointments are available Monday to Friday, 9:30-5:15pm
• You will receive a call back within 1-2 business days

When arriving for your appointment

• Arrive to the hospital at your appointment time.
• Park in the short-term parking lot at the south side of the hospital, entering from Kent St. (There is no charge for parking for those visiting the assessment centre. All other patients should use short or long term parking on the North side of the hospital.)
• Wear a mask
• Bring your health card and identification
• Proceed to the South Entrance (follow signage for COVID-19 Assessment Centre)
• Maintain physical distancing from others awaiting testing

If symptoms are severe, including difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion or loss of consciousness, you should call 911 or proceed to the Emergency Department. 

The RMH COVID-19 Assessment Centre can provide testing for:

• Anyone age 1 and over who is showing COVID-19 symptoms. You may be asked to visit the Emergency Department if your symptoms, or your child’s symptoms are severe.
• ​Individuals who have been notified by Public Health or the COVID Alert app about a potential exposure to a confirmed case of the virus
• Individuals who live or work in an at-risk setting, including long-term care, shelters or other congregate setting
• You will be visiting a long term care home
• You are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative as determined by the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Long Term Care.
• Those who require COVID-19 testing prior to medical procedure

Visit the provincial COVID-19 website to learn more about symptoms in infants and children, and when you should take your child to the Emergency Department.  

Test Results

Your results should be available at Ontario.ca/coronavirus within 5 days of your test. If you haven’t been able to access your results online after 5 days, call 705-328-6217 and leave a message.

Enhanced Measures in Place at RMH

We are screening everyone entering the hospital

To protect patients, families and our team, we are screening everyone entering our hospital. Please answer these questions honestly and stay home if you are ill. 

Limiting entrances to hospital

• Emergency Department entrance – 24 hours/day
• Main entrance – 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Dialysis entrance – For Dialysis patients ONLY – 6:30a.m. to 7 p.m.

Visiting Guidelines

• One visitor per patient, 1 visit per day
• 2 visitors per day for palliative care patients
• We continue to ask that patients with appointments or attending the Emergency Department should come alone, unless a support person is essential.
• Visitors must be over the age of 16, though visitors to palliative patients will be considered on a case by case basis

What you need to know for your visit

• Enter at the main entrance, clean your hands with hand sanitizer and answer screening questions honestly.
• You’ll be provided with a sticker to wear for the duration of your visit.
• You will be asked your full name and contact information
• Bring a mask if you have one or you will be provided one. Keep your mask on throughout your visit.
• Food or drink must not be consumed while visiting. You may bring food/drink for the patient, as long as it does not require storage or heating.  
• Do not bring animals to visit, with exceptions for service animals.
• Check in with staff when you arrive to the unit. Stay in your loved one’s room when you visit. Do not visit other areas in the hospital. Once onsite, you cannot leave and return on the same day.
• Maintain physical distance of 2 metres/6 feet or more from all hospital staff and patients
• Sanitize your hands before entering and when leaving the patient’s room, as well as at other doorways and ‘high-touch’ surfaces. Sanitize your hands upon leaving the hospital.

We continue to offer Virtual Visits (video calls) to support patients and loved ones stay connected. Learn more.

Care Packages for Patients

It's hard being away from your loved one in hospital. You can send them a care package to let them know you're thinking of them. Please label your package (patient's name and room #) and drop it off at the main entrance from 10am-4pm. Care packages will be disinfected before being delivered to the patient. Please limit your care package to essential items only:

• One grocery-sized bag or small box per patient
• Personal aids - walkers, canes, glasses, hearing aids, dentures, prosthetics - items must arrive cleaned
• Communication aids - phone, charger, tablet. Item must arrive cleaned.
• Toiletries and grooming items - toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, razor, brush. Items must be new.
• Clothing - items must be laundered. 
• Food: Must be packaged in a sealable, wipeable container, not require refrigeration or heating, and be easily discarded. 

Showing your support

We are grateful for your support in the following ways:

• We continue to accept donations of unopened/unused surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, gloves, and waterproof gowns to support our front-line workers. Please contact dabbott@rmh.org or705-324-6111 ext. 5175 to arrange your donation.
• We've had many kind offers of homemade masks. Learn more about making and donating homemade masks. 
• Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation has established a special fund, called Heroes at Heart, to support urgent equipment and technology needs as the Ross responds to the pandemic. To support the COVID-19 response at RMH, please give to our Heroes at Heart fund by phone (705-328-6146), by email (foundation@rmh.org) or online (www.rmh.org/foundation).​
• We cannot accept food donations for our staff and physicians, including food sent from restaurants or home-baked goods.

News

• October 16, 2020 - RMH COVID-19 Assessment Centre Moves Inside Hospital
• Sept 30, 2020 - RMH COVID-19 Assessment Centre Shifts to "Appointment Only" Model
• June 29, 2020 - New Hours and Location for RMH COVID-19 Assessment Centre
• June 4, 2020 - Message to Our Community: Increased Testing Volumes; Maintaining Safety while Resuming Services
• June 1, 2020 - Virtual COVID-19 Town Hall
• May 29, 2020 - Five regional hospital partners approved to begin ramping up non-urgent care
• May 26, 220 - Expanded COVID-19 Testing
• May 8, 2020 - Message to Our Community: Don't Wait to Access Emergency Care
• April 28. 2020 - Ross Memorial Hospital's Evolving Response to COVID-19
• April 13, 2020 - Working with and for our community
• April 6, 2020 - RMH Preparations during COVID-19 Pandemic
• March 30, 2020 - Message to Our Community: We're all in this together
• March 24, 2020 - Message to Our Community
• March 22, 2020 - COVID-19 Contributes to Death of CKL Resident
• March 17, 2020 - RMH Evolves COVID-19 Assessment Centre to Enhanced Model
• March 15, 2020 - RMH Opens COVID-19 Assessment Centre (this model is no longer active)
• March 14, 2020 - HKPR District Health Unit Reports Positive Case of COVID-19 in CKL
• March 2nd, 2020 - Local Health Partners Continue to Work Together in Preparation for Potential COVID-19 Cases
• January 31st, 2020 - Working together to prevent spread of seasonal illness and novel coronavirus

Resources

• Government of Ontario COVID-19 Website ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
• COVID-19 Self Assessment ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-self-assessment 
• HKPRD Health Unit (including local cases) hkpr.on.ca
• Public Health Agency of Canada canada.ca/coronavirus
• World Health Organization who.int/health-topics/coronavirus