Ontario expands eligibility for COVID-19 testing to include pregnant people, first responders and unvaccinated seniors
The province of Ontario widened access to free PCR COVID-19 testing last week, making eligible pregnant people, select unvaccinated adults over the age of 70, and first responders.
The new guidance from the Ministry of Health published on Jan. 13 states that for the first time in two weeks, all of the above groups as well as household contacts of essential health care and congregate care workers can now get a free PCR test if they show symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
The new guidance says that in order to be eligible for free PCR testing, adults age 70+ (or 60+ for Indigenous adults and those with “additional” risk factors), they must also be considered for some form of outpatient treatment for COVID-19, such as Budesonside, Fluvoxamine, or soon, Paxlovid.
On Dec. 30, 2021, testing was limited to the hospitalized, health care and congregate care workers, homeless people, Indigenous Ontario residents, those identified in outbreak investigations and public school students in very select circumstances.
Officials at the time said the narrowing of access was needed after the testing network became overwhelmed due to the Omicron variant, with a backlog of more than 100,000 specimens awaiting processing around the New Year.
Since then, testing volumes have fallen considerably.
On Monday, the province reported processing just 38,700 tests, down from 40,000-60,000 through the previous week.
Prior to Dec. 30, 2021, PCR testing was available for free for virtually anyone in the province who showed symptoms or had contact with a previously identified case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman with disabilities approved for medically assisted death relocated thanks to 'inspiring' support
A 31-year-old disabled Toronto woman who was conditionally approved for a medically assisted death after a fruitless bid for safe housing says her life has been 'changed' by an outpouring of support after telling her story.

Police inaction moves to centre of Uvalde shooting probe
The actions -- or more notably, the inaction -- of a school district police chief and other law enforcement officers moved swiftly to the centre of the investigation into this week's shocking school shooting in Uvalde, Texas,
Putin warns against continued arming of Ukraine; Kremlin claims another city captured
Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Saturday that European nations halt sanctions on his country and weapons shipments to Ukraine, where Moscow claimed its forces had captured another eastern city as they fought to seize all of the contested Donbas region.
Truth tracker: Analyzing the World Economic Forum 'Great Reset' conspiracy theory
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos was met with justifiable criticisms and unfounded conspiracy theories.
Calling social conservatives dinosaurs was 'wrong terminology', says Patrick Brown
Federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown says calling social conservatives 'dinosaurs' in a book he wrote about his time in Ontario politics was 'the wrong terminology.'
Fact check: NRA speakers distort gun and crime statistics
Speakers at the National Rifle Association annual meeting assailed a Chicago gun ban that doesn't exist, ignored security upgrades at the Texas school where children were slaughtered and roundly distorted national gun and crime statistics as they pushed back against any tightening of gun laws.
She smeared blood on herself and played dead: 11-year-old reveals chilling details of the massacre
An 11-year-old survivor of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, feared the gunman would come back for her so she smeared herself in her friend's blood and played dead.
Jury's duty in Depp-Heard trial doesn't track public debate
A seven-person civil jury in Virginia will resume deliberations Tuesday in Johnny Depp's libel trial against Amber Heard. What the jury considers will be very different from the public debate that has engulfed the high-profile proceedings.
Remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could wait weeks for power restoration
A Hydro One spokesperson says some people living in remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could be waiting weeks to have power restored after last Saturday’s devastating and deadly storm.