People stand in drive-thru line as London COVID testing centres hit capacity

Eleven new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the weekend as testing centres in Middlesex-London are reaching capacity well before their posted closing times.

There were no new deaths according to the health unit's official statistics. The total number of cases since the tally began earlier in the year is now at 800, with 682 counted as recovered. 

This weekend's new positive cases are largely among a younger age demographic, said Dr. Alex Summers, associate medical officer of health with the health unit.

"That is consistent with the fact that we are seeing a spike of cases amongst post-secondary students in particular," he said.

Jacob Brown, a second year aviation student at Western, lined up to get tested on Saturday but was turned away.

"As soon as we showed up someone in a golf cart came out and told us it was full and that we wouldn't get tested today," he said.

Centres have been hitting capacity on a daily basis, according to Summers, largely due to the influx of cases among post-secondary students and increased vigilance on the part of secondary and primary school students. 

"If you have symptoms or if you've been identified by public health as a close contact of a case, those are the people that we really want to be going for testing. If you are planning to go for a weekend away and you just want to get a negative test before you go, that's not a reason to go for testing," he said. 

Brown and his girlfriend fall into the second category. They were in close contact with someone who had recently tested positive.

After being turned away on Saturday, they returned to the centre early on Sunday. 

"We're actually trying to figure out right now if there is some sort of walk-up line," Brown said, as he stood on the street between cars in line for the drive-up. 

"It's pretty difficult, honestly," he said of the entire testing process, "We have to pay for an Uber, which gets kind of expensive, especially considering we paid to come yesterday, paid to go back and now paid to come here again and we're going to have to pay to go back, because we aren't going to take the bus."

Brown added that he was able to easily get a test at Western's testing centre, but his girlfriend was turned away because she is not a student. 

Province moves to limit social gatherings 

"Where we are seeing transmission across the province, as we are seeing here in London most recently, it's amongst what we would describe as the non-affiliated, unregulated, private social gatherings," Summers said.

Premier Doug Ford announced on Saturday that the province would be lowering the number of people allowed at social gatherings. The new rules limit private, unmonitored gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. They are to be in place for 28 days. 

Ford also said that those organizing parties that disregard the new limits could receive a $10,000 fine, along with $750 tickets handed out to attendees. 

No tickets of that nature were given over the weekend in London according to a city spokesperson. However, one employee of a business was given a $500 fine for violating the mandatory face covering bylaw.

"We also visited bars in the downtown and found all to be compliant," they said.