East Toronto Health Partners opens ninth pop-up COVID-19 testing site in East Toronto to improve access to community testing

(Dec. 13, 2020) Toronto — East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), an Ontario Health Team (OHT), is opening a ninth pop-up COVID-19 testing site in East Toronto to improve access to COVID-19 testing for its community members.

The temporary testing site opens tomorrow (Dec. 14) at Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre (48 Thorncliffe Park Drive). It will be open from Monday to Friday, from 1 to 7 p.m., until Dec. 31, with the exception of statutory holidays (Dec. 25 and 26).

The location is situated within walking distance from ETHP’s pop-up COVID-19 testing site at the TNO Youth Centre (45 Overlea Boulevard, Unit 108A) in Thorncliffe Park. By opening an additional temporary testing site in this neighbourhood, ETHP hopes to relieve testing volumes at the existing 45 Overlea Boulevard site during a time when an increasing number of residents in the area are seeking COVID-19 tests.

“Our Thorncliffe Park community has embraced COVID-19 testing since the start of the pandemic as a critical public health strategy that keeps our friends, families and community members safe,” says Ahmed Hussein, executive director of TNO — The Neighbourhood Organization and a member of ETHP. “We will continue to do everything we can to protect the health of our community, including following public health guidelines and providing our neighbours with homemade masks, non-perishable food items and other resources whenever possible.”

The temporary testing site at Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre joins eight other locations in East Toronto operated by ETHP and which were recently extended through December. These include sites in East York, Flemingdon Park (two locations), Oakridge (Scarborough), South Riverdale, Taylor-Massey (Crescent Town) and Warden Woods (Scarborough).

All nine sites offer drop-in testing for local residents of all ages who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who think they may have been infected (even without showing symptoms). They also offer low-barrier testing for individuals who are experiencing homelessness and do not have easy access to Internet. Residents of East Toronto who live outside these priority neighbourhoods and meet provincial COVID-19 testing guidelines are encouraged to continue accessing Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) COVID-19 Assessment Centre by appointment.

“Thorncliffe Park is an incredibly dynamic and vibrant community supported by organizations doing important work, like TNO — The Neighbourhood Organization, Flemingdon Health Centre and Health Access Thorncliffe Park,” says Sarah Downey, president and CEO of MGH and a member of ETHP. “We are so grateful that they have embraced COVID-19 testing, including proactive testing initiatives at local schools, throughout the pandemic. Their resilience and dedication to doing the right thing to ensure the health and safety of their community is exemplary.”

ETHP organizations leading the pop-up COVID-19 testing sites in East Toronto include: East Toronto Family Practice Network (EasT-FPN), Flemingdon Health Centre (FHC), Health Access Thorncliffe Park (HATP), Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC), TNO — The Neighbourhood Organization, WoodGreen Community Services and Warden Woods Community Centre (WWCC). ETHP is also working with the City of Toronto to host six of its temporary COVID-19 testing sites in city-owned spaces. The initiative is funded by Ontario Health.

“To stop the spread of COVID-19, all orders of government, along with community organizations, are working together to help our residents,” says City of Toronto Mayor John Tory. “We are pleased to support East Toronto Health Partners’ efforts to support the local community by providing a testing clinic in Thorncliffe Park. It is through measures like these that we can identify cases of the virus sooner and thereby slow the spread of this virus.”

For locations, dates and times for ETHP’s nine temporary COVID-19 testing sites in East Toronto for the month of December, see below or click here.

Thorncliffe Park (NEW)
Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre (48 Thorncliffe Park Dr.)
Dates: Dec. 14–18, 21–24, 28–31
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

Thorncliffe Park (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
TNO Youth Centre (45 Overlea Blvd., Unit 108A)
Dates and hours:

• Dec. 1–4 from 1–7 p.m.
• Dec. 5–11 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Dec. 12–24 and 27–31 from 1–7 p.m.

East York (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
East York Community Centre (1081 ½ Pape Ave.)
Dates: Dec. 1–2, 6–9, 13–16, 20–23 and 27–30
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

Flemingdon Park (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
Dennis R. Timbrell Resource Centre (29 St. Dennis Dr.)
Dates: Dec. 4–6, 11–13, 18–20 and 27
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

Flemingdon Park (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
Angela James Arena (165 Grenoble Dr.)
Dates: Dec. 1–2, 7–9, 14-16, 21–23 and 28–30
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

Warden Woods (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
The Hub at Warden Woods Community Centre (76 Firvalley Court)
Dates: Dec. 3–5, 10–12, 17–19, 24 and 31
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

Oakridge (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
Oakridge Community Recreation Centre (63 Pharmacy Ave.)
Dates: Dec. 3–6, 10–13, 17–20, 24, 27 and 31
Hours: 1–7 p.m.

South Riverdale (Existing — pop-up extended through December)
South Riverdale Community Health Centre (955 Queen St. E.)
Dates and hours:

• Dec. 7 from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Dec. 12 from 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Dec. 15 from 4–6 p.m.
• Dec. 21 from 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Dec. 29 from 4–6 p.m.
• Jan. 4 from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

***Please note that testing at each temporary COVID-19 testing site may finish earlier depending on client volumes.

Media contact
Lucy Lau (she/her)
Corporate Communications Coordinator
East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP)
@email
Tel: 416-469-6580 ext. 2298 | Cell: 778-878-5829