SUDBURY -- This week has marked a major milestone and it's one that hasn't escaped the minds of the city's healthcare providers.

This week marks one year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic but it's also one week since the virus was first detected in northeastern Ontario.

Dr. Deborah Smith came out of retirement to act as the medical lead for Sudbury's COVID-19 Assessment Centre.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year since this all started. A year ago today, I was still in Florida and then our prime minister told us all to come home. So we packed up and returned," Smith said. "And then I got a call from our chief of staff to get involved at the testing centre."

Smith said it's been an interesting year for her both personally and professionally, but that she has no regrets about returning to work.

It's been a mission for many of these health-care workers to help get the region through the novel coronavirus. For Smith, it was a calling she felt compelled to answer.

"It's been a very interesting journey, it's been a great journey. I've worked with such committed people that it's been a great journey. Everyone has the same goal," she said.

The long-time family doctor has been helping to lead the staff through the city's first, second and now potential third wave of COVID-19.

She said it's certainly had its ups and downs along the way.

"I have met a couple of the people that did experience COVID and a couple of them did pass away," Smith said. "It's always very sobering, you know, so that will stick with me that I spoke with someone and within a week, I had heard they passed away from COVID."

She adds she is so glad to be part of the community that is fighting the pandemic and that everyone on the front lines is doing their best.

The assessment centre remains one of the busiest facilities in the city, particularly as of late, where call volume this week has been anywhere from three to four times the average that they had been getting previously.

It's a similar story for Nicole Sykes who worked as the manager of the assessment centre.

"To be able to look back on this and see such a complete change in what I was doing a year ago, minus a day, versus what I became a year ago, and the team that we were able to put together. The learning that we have been able to achieve has really been hands down the highlight of my career," Sykes said.

Earlier this week, they swabbed a record 650 tests in one day and have been able to expand their capacity to fulfill the increase in demand.

Health Sciences North was the first hospital lab in Ontario to be able to successfully test for variants of concern.

Over at the hospital, Vice-President Kelli-Ann Lemieux has been helping to oversee testing and the vaccine rollout.

"That first day - when we delivered the vaccine to those health-care workers that are at highest risk was one of the most rewarding and positive experiences I've had in my career," Lemieux said.

She said it's been a long year, but many of them are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel now and that couldn't be more proud of the team she has in clinical services.

"We've felt hopeful, more recently, with the roll-out of the vaccines. Positive about the future and we're hopefully at the tail end of the pandemic. It's been a roller coaster for everyone," Lemieux said.

In the meantime, as for her retirement, Smith said she'll continue in her role for as long as she's needed.

"I think one of the things that I've learned over the past year is acceptance and that's often difficult. We have to accept that this is our new reality, this is happening. We don't have to like it but we have to accept that this is it and make our path forward and follow all of the guidelines from public health and our minister of health," she said. "It's a community that's at-risk so we have to remember what we're doing is for our community. Because protecting our community as a whole, protects all of the individuals."

The Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts go back into a lockdown as of Friday at 12:01 a.m.