Staff being hired as testing centres in Quinte experience a surge, says officials

By Beatrice Toplitsky

BELLEVILLE – Quinte Health Care is increasing staffing levels as the amount of people coming for tests continues to rise in Belleville.

The city said Wednesday there have been 37,661 total swab tests at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit, Paramedics COVID-19 Response Team, and COVID-19 Assessment Centres in Belleville, North Hastings Prince Edward County, and Quinte West.

Despite only four active lab-confirmed cases in the region, demands for testing is high, according to the Quinte Health Care website.

It launched online registration for testing for Belleville and Trenton in an effort to cut down traffic on the busy phone hotline.

As of now, Ontarians are being asked only to seek testing if they have symptoms or they have been exposed to a confirmed case, or an outbreak, or are part of a targeted testing initiative by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.

Even so, wait times for can be upwards of one hour in Quinte, the website said.