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Ottawa will be getting one of the first six assessment centre for COVID-19, with more on the way, Ontario’s health minister says.

The assessment centre will be set up at Brewer arena, near Brewer Park and Carleton University, Ottawa Public Health said.

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The centres will open within the next few days, and more are on the way, Christine Elliott told reporters Thursday morning.

OPH noted the Brewer location isn’t yet open and “the focus is on getting operational as soon as possible.” The councillor for the area, Shawn Menard, said on Twitter it might open as early as Friday afternoon.

The centres will be located near but not in hospitals to keep the pressure off hospitals and keep potential COVID-19 patients away from the regular hospital population. Although most people won’t have to be admitted to hospital, all hospitals have the ability to admit patients, Elliott said.

“They don’t all have to be treated in negative pressure rooms. They can be treated in isolation in other parts of the hospital.”