COVID-19 Testing

Local area residents should only seek PCR/molecular testing for COVID-19 if they are eligible

The following people are eligible for PCR or rapid molecular testing:

Symptomatic people who fall into one of the following groups:

• Patient-facing health care workers
• Staff, volunteers, residents/inpatients, essential care providers, and visitors in highest risk settings
  • Highest risk settings include: hospitals (including complex continuing care facilities and paramedic services) and congregate living settings, including long-term care, retirement homes, First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices and correctional institutions
• Household members of staff in highest risk settings and patient-facing health care workers
• Temporary foreign workers in congregate living settings
• Patients seeking emergency medical care, at the discretion of the treating clinician
• Outpatients for whom COVID-19 treatment is being considered, including:
  • Immunocompromised individuals not expected to mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination or SARSCoV-2 infection, regardless of vaccination status
  • Individuals who are not fully vaccinated and at highest risk of severe disease (anyone aged ≥70 years or ≥60 years who is Indigenous and/or has additional risk factors)
• Pregnant people
• People who are underhoused or homeless
• First responders, including fire, police and paramedics
• Elementary and secondary students and education staff who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school

Symptomatic/asymptomatic people:

• Individuals who are from a First Nation, Inuit, Métis community, and/or who self-identify as First Nation, Inuit, and Metis and their household members
• Individuals travelling into First Nation, Inuit, Métis communities for work
• On admission/transfer to or from hospital or congregate living setting
• Close contacts and people in the context of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in highest risk settings as directed by the local public health unit
• Individuals, and one accompanying caregiver, with written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager, OHIP
• Asymptomatic testing in hospital, long-term care, retirement homes and other congregate living settings and institutions as per provincial guidance and/or directives, or as directed by public health units

How to get tested if eligible:

1. Complete the Lakeridge Health online assessment form by visiting covid19swab.lh.ca to get an appointment at a local COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
2. Find another COVID-19 testing location in Ontario.

Accessing your test results

If you have a green photo health card:

COVID-19 test results can be accessed online through the Ontario government COVID-19 test results website. It may take up to five days for results to be posted on the website.

If you do not have a health card, and/or have a red and white health card, and/or do not have internet access:

Call the COVID Assessment Results Line or contact your primary care provider at least five days after you have been tested. When contacting the COVID Assessment Results Line at 905-721-4842 follow the automated instructions to leave a voice mail.

Please provide the following in your voice mail:

• Full name
• Health card number
• Date of test
• Phone number

If you test positive for COVID-19 on a PCR or molecular test, you may be contacted by your local public health unit or the provincial case and contact management team by phone or text message. For more information about your positive test result, please visit durham.ca/CovidInfoHub.