As part of keeping patients safe, a respiratory clinic opened Monday at Northern Maine Medical Center.

Social distancing is the new norm and applies to more than just social outings.

Alain Bois says NMMC is doing its part to ensure the well-being of their patients.

“In order to separate patients that were possibly exposed to the COVID-19 from the general population coming in for their routine, or their wellness check in our offices- we decided to create a respiratory symptom clinic that is open seven days a week,” said Bois.

Patients can schedule an appointment or simply walk in. The clinic is housed in a section of the hospital that's isolated from other areas to decrease the risk of potential transmission of the disease.

“So far, we’ve seen 35 patients this week,” said Bois.

The placement of the clinic has provided a bit of reassurance to both staff and patients, since it separates those with underlying conditions visiting the hospital for an array of treatments from those who may have been exposed to the virus.

“We cannot close our primary care offices completely. There’s people out there that need to have access to their health care. Some of them need it in person. We can't divert everybody to the emergency room. So, it's allowed us to continue to maintain those office visits and make sure that we're separating the individuals that are possibly contaminated or infected by the coronavirus from those that do not have the disease,” explained Bois.

Bois says he believes the disease will be around for weeks, if not months.

He says as long as cases are reported - both in the state and elsewhere - the clinic will continue to operate.