How to get tested for COVID-19 in Ontario during the fourth wave
Testing infrastructure in Ontario has been adapting to meet people’s needs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, amid a fourth wave, it’s as important as ever.
CTV News Toronto has compiled a list of how you can get a COVID-19 test in Ontario.
PUBLIC ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING
How does it work?
- Asymptomatic people can get this test for free at select pharmacy locations if they are eligible.
- Those eligible can fill out a screen request form on the pharmacy’s website to get an appointment for the free test or they can contact a pharmacy over the phone.
- The province has a database of all asymptotic testing locations on their website.
Whos eligible?
- People who are working, living in, or visiting a long-term care home, homeless shelter or retirement home.
- International students who have completed their 14-day quarantine, farmworkers and Indigenous peoples.
- Youth and staff who plan to attend overnight summer camps in 2021, people travelling into remote Indigenous communities for work and children and staff at child care settings.
When do results come back?
- Most results are ready 24 to 48 hours after the test. The wait time for the results may be longer or shorter.
COVID-19 ASSESSMENT CENTRE TESTING
How does it work?
- Ontario residents can be tested for the novel coronavirus for free at any provincial assessment centre.
- Information about how to book an appointment and find an assessment centre is available on the province’s website.
Who’s eligible?
- People with any COVID-19 symptoms and those who have been exposed to the disease can get a test done at any provincial assessment centre.
- Workers, residents and visitors at long-term care homes and other congregate settings.
- Farmworkers, Indigenous peoples, staff in child care settings and those in need of testing for surgery or for other medical reasons.
When do results come back?
- Most results are ready 24 to 48 hours after the test. The wait time for the results may be longer or shorter.
RAPID COVID-19 ANTIGEN TESTS
How does it work?
- Select pharmacies offer rapid COVID-19 antigen tests. People can visit Shoppers Drug Mart’s website to find locations offering the screening and can phone to book an appointment.
- The test costs $40.
- The pharmacy advises that rapid COVID-19 antigen tests are not used to officially diagnose COVID-19, so it’s different from a COVID-19 test.
- A rapid COVID-19 antigen screen may identify the presence of antigens in a person’s body, and the results come within minutes. This may indicate that a person may have an active COVID-19 infection, but a follow-up COVID-19 PCR test is needed to confirm a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Who’s eligible?
- People who are asymptomatic, who have not recently been exposed to a person with COVID-19 and who have not travelled recently outside of Canada.
- People who have not previously tested positive for COVID-19.
- People who have not recently been advised to get tested by the COVID-19 app.
When do results come back?
- The results typically come back in 15 to 20 minutes.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COVID-19 TESTING
How does it work?
- At a number of pharmacies, including Shoppers Drug Mart, COVID-19 testing is available at select locations for asymptomatic individuals who require a negative COVID-19 test for an upcoming international flight.
- The cost for the test is typically around $200. Most pharmacies allow people to book the test through their website or by phone.
Who’s eligible?
- You must have an upcoming international flight and can provide flight details as confirmation.
- You must not have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 recently, you must be asymptotic, and you must not have travelled outside the country in the past 14 days.
- You must also not have tested positive for COVID-19 previously and must not have been advised to be tested through the COVID-19 exposure app.
When do results come back?
- Results will typically be available within 48 hours.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
More than half of Canadians say freedom of speech is under threat, new poll suggests
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians feel their right to freedom of speech is in danger.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Police move in to clear NYU encampment, U.S. campus arrests grow to 2,200 in pro-Palestinian protests
Police moved in to clear an encampment at New York University on Friday at the request of school officials, a move that follows weeks of pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in nearly 2,200 arrests by police.
Feds giving Toronto more than $104M to host 2026 FIFA World Cup
The federal government will provide Toronto just over $104 million in funding to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Wally, the emotional support alligator once denied entry to a baseball game, is missing
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'
Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Drew Barrymore explains how she accidentally left a list of her romantic partners at Danny DeVito's house
Danny DeVito had the opportunity to know way more about Drew Barrymore than the rest of us.
'Bare-adise' adventure: This nude cruise is due to set sail from Miami in 2025
What do you need to pack for a cruise? When it comes to this upcoming cruise from tour and travel company Bare Necessities, the answer appears to be very little.