Eastern Health announced Tuesday that the Mundy Pond walk-in clinic in St. John's will dedicate a number of its appointments for children, as the province grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses among children.

Last week, the regional health authority announced some routine surgeries and appointments would have to be cancelled at the Janeway children's hospital in St. John's to cope with a rise in patients. Dr. Carolyn Cashin, a physician in the Janeway emergency room, told CBC News that demand jumped from 55 daily visits to 160 or more in less than a month.

Eastern Health says parents should bring children with mild respiratory illness symptoms to the walk-in clinic instead of the Janeway. Children who are assessed at the clinic will be treated on a priority basis, said Eastern Health in a press release on Tuesday, and any children needing a higher level of care will be referred to the Janeway.

The walk-in clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. and Eastern Health is encouraging parents to visit the clinic after 8:30 a.m. to avoid potential lineups early in the day.