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Cleveland Clinic tightens screening for coronavirus tests, will focus on 'higher-risk' patients

For the time being, the Clinic will 'prioritize' patients who are already hospitalized or those who are 61 & older at its drive-thru location.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Clinic is restricting the number of patients who can immediately receive coronavirus testing, at least for now.

Starting Wednesday, the Clinic will be "prioritizing" its tests for those who are already hospitalized or those who are 61 and older, the latter group being able to use the W.O. Walker Center's drive-thru testing location on Euclid Avenue if they have a doctor's order. Those 60 and younger with a doctor's order are urged to not go to the testing facility until contacted by the Clinic with "further instructions," and others with a fever above 100.4 degrees and/or a cough are being told to isolate themselves and not go to the testing site, only to contact their doctor "if [their] medical condition worsens."

"We currently have a supply of testing swabs on hand, however, we did not fully anticipate the impact of the crisis in Italy which is where the swabs are manufactured," the Clinic said in a statement. "We hope to continue to receive additional supplies, which will be a key part of our decision-making."

In addition, Cleveland Clinic patients will no longer be accepted for testing at University Hospitals' Landerbrook facility even if they have a doctor's order. The two hospitals have been teaming up with the tests, and 3News has reached out to UH to see if their policies are changing as well. The Clinic says that this is "still a joint effort," and that UH patients will also not be accepted at the Walker site.

RELATED: Technical issues, vehicle capacity delay Cleveland Clinic/ University Health drive-thru screenings

67 people have tested positive for the coronavirus so far in Ohio, including 31 in Cuyahoga County alone. MetroHealth has begun testing its own patients separately, but, "Supplies are very limited, and testing at this time must be reserved for the hospitalized patients who are critically ill and those who have had direct contact with them."

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