KITCHENER -- The COVID-19 testing centre run by Cambridge Memorial Hospital will be getting a telephone upgrade to handle the volume of calls it's getting.

The hospital decided to start using the new technology before it moves locations next week to streamline the "incredible demand" for tests, officials said in a news release.

"The technology will place callers in a queue, give them a number and forward callers to the next available clerk," the release read in part.

Hospital staff also expect it to manage the anxiety caused when people aren't able to get through to book an appointment.

"The plan was to implement this technology in the new space. But with the incredibly high demand for COVID testing in our community, we decided to bump it up so that anyone who calls for test will know where they are in line rather than getting a busy signal," said patient services Director Rita Sharratt in a release.

"While it won’t solve the wait time, it will provide some relief from the frustration of calling in multiple times."

The new testing site will be located at 215 Holiday Inn Dr., and is expected to open on Oct. 28. This location will be fully accessible, unlike the current location at the hospital, and will have increase parking.

The site had to be moved because of an upcoming refurbishment in the hospital's Wing B.