Regional COVID-19, cold and flu care clinic to close permanently on Friday

The regional COVID-19, cold and flu care clinic operated by Grand River Hospital (GRH) is closing its doors Friday after serving the community for several months.

On Wednesday, GRH said care for community members with COVID-19, cold and influenza-like symptoms will transition to family physicians, urgent care clinics, and community pharmacies.

“This clinic supported community care providers and diverted patients away from hospitals to receive comprehensive COVID, cold and flu care as the pandemic continued and during a season of unprecedented numbers of pediatric respiratory virus patients,” GRH president and CEO Ron Gagnon said in a news release.

According to the hospital, the regional clinic grew out of COVID-19 assessment clinics, which were run by local hospitals starting in 2020. Last fall, they merged services into one clinic location and expanded to care for cold and flu-like symptoms.

The clinic expanded its services in November 2022 when it moved to 50 Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener.

The hospital said the clinic closure is coordinated with the return of warmer weather and anticipated seasonal decline of cold and flu.