Pharmacy COVID-19 testing could come to Waterloo region as early as Tuesday, premier says

Tests for COVID-19 could be coming to Waterloo region "as early as Tuesday," Premier Doug Ford said in a media briefing on Friday.

Ford announced up to 18 more pharmacies are possible early in the week, and specifically mentioned Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Brantford and Stratford, among other areas of southwestern Ontario such as Windsor, London and Niagara Falls. No other details were immediately available.

The province announced earlier in the week that testing would begin in pharmacies on Friday, but the 60 pharmacies named to begin testing were located largely in the Toronto area, Ottawa and one was in Huntsville.

The news came on the same day Ford announced new restrictions, including that strip clubs were being ordered to close and restaurants and bars couldn't serve alcohol past 11 p.m. starting Saturday.

Public health officials in Waterloo region reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Friday with 149 active cases.

Pharmacist reacts to changing guidance on asymptomatic testing

4 years ago

Duration 1:22

As COVID-19 testing gets underway in some Ontario pharmacies, an Ottawa pharmacist says his team is working hard to keep up as guidelines evolve.