Any Ottawa resident can now get a COVID-19 test: OPH
Updated approach to testing comes after Premier Ford issues plea
Any Ottawa resident who wants a COVID-19 test can now get one, even if they don't have coronavirus symptoms, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says.
In an update Sunday to its testing strategy, the health agency said any resident who feels they need a test should be able to get one without being turned away, as long as there is capacity.
"If volumes are significant, priority will be given to residents from high-risk groups and those showing symptoms," OPH said on Twitter.
The COVID-19 test detects whether the COVID-19 virus is present in the body at the time of testing, and will not tell someone if they were infected previously.
COVID-19 TESTING UPDATE: any Ottawa resident who feels they need a test, even if they are not showing symptoms, can go for testing at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre or COVID-19 Care Clinics & should not be turned away (unless volumes are significant)<a href="https://t.co/IKlEBPmXks">https://t.co/IKlEBPmXks</a> <a href="https://t.co/OLJ3yYZCvF">pic.twitter.com/OLJ3yYZCvF</a>
—@ottawahealthPreviously, residents were advised to go for a test only if they were showing symptoms like a recurring cough, fever or difficulty breathing.
The update followed a public plea by Premier Doug Ford for people to get tested after the province fell short of its testing target for the seventh day in a row.
To get tested, residents can go to the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Brewer Park Arena or to one of the two designated COVID-19 clinics on Moodie Drive or Heron Road.
For more information, visit the Ottawa Public Health website.
