As the winter term begins in the midst of a province-wide lockdown, the Queen’s COVID-19 Satellite Assessment Centre in Mitchell Hall is once again open for students looking to get tested.

The Centre, which re-opened this morning, is now offering appointments between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Students who are experiencing symptoms, have travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days, or need testing for contact tracing purposes can book an appointment by calling Student Wellness Services at 513-533-2506.

READ MORE: Queen’s urges students to avoid Kingston until end of January

Queen’s reported five new cases of the virus off-campus during the week of Jan. 4-10, contributing to a total of eight active cases in the University community.

In a statement released Dec. 23, the University “strongly” urged students living on and off campus to refrain from returning to Kingston, unless necessary for their academic activities or wellbeing, until the lockdown is lifted on Jan. 23 to help contain the spread of the virus between regions.

Students choosing to return before this date were asked in an additional statement on Jan. 6 to self-isolate for 14 days if arriving from outside the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A), Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, and Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark regions.

Those living off-campus were encouraged to use online ordering for food and essential items, as well as to avoid situations where they could encounter others. Self-isolation is required for students who need to access on-campus facilities.

The University has identified a total of 87 cases of COVID-19 since Aug. 31, including nine in residence and 78 off-campus. Since the pandemic began, KFL&A has reported a total of 630 cases in the region.

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