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⚠ Exposed to COVID-19 or looking for guidance? Visit our isolation instructions for COVID-19 web page. Take this screener to determine if you are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and may benefit from treatments.
Last revised: June 27, 2022
Can I get a PCR test?
COVID-19 PCR testing is currently only available to eligible individuals, these include people living and working in the highest risk settings (like hospitals, health care settings, and congregate living) and priority groups (like First Nations, Inuit, Métis). Read the information below to see if you are eligible for a PCR test.
| Who qualifies for a PCR COVID-19 test | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As per provincial testing guidance, you are eligible for PCR COVID-19 testing if you have COVID-19 symptoms and are any of the following:
Whether you have symptoms or not, you are eligible for PCR or rapid POC molecular testing if you:
If you have symptoms but are not eligible for testing, assume you have COVID-19 and follow the steps for what to do if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19. If you have symptoms and are at high risk of complications or hospitalization, please visit a care clinic for further assessment and treatment if eligible. For those eligible for treatment, it is vital that you begin COVID-19 antiviral treatment within 5 days of starting your symptoms. * The highest-risk settings include:
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| Book a PCR COVID-19 test | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Many of these locations test children and all of them need you to make an appointment for testing. Please only book one appointment at a single site and cancel your appointment if you plan on no longer attending.
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| Symptoms of COVID-19 |
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COVID-19 symptoms
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| What to do after getting tested for COVID-19 |
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| How to access PCR COVID-19 test results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| How to get to a testing site | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to be seen by a medical professional
If you, your child or someone you know has symptoms of COVID-19, you can be seen by a medical professional at a care clinic. They will assess you, test you if eligible, and offer you treatment if eligible. If you feel unwell, please visit a care clinic today for an in-person assessment.
| Who qualifies for an in-person assessment with a medical professional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As per provincial guidance, you should book an appointment at a care clinic if you know or suspect that you have COVID-19 and you:
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you should immediately call 911 or go to the emergency department:
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| Book an appointment for: an in-person assessment OR to speak to a clinician about access to treatment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Care clinics will assess those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 who feel unwell, are worsening, or simply want to be seen by a medical provider. You should bring a list of your medication and a list of any important medical conditions to your appointment. These care clinics can also discuss COVID-19 antiviral treatment for adults most at risk. COVID-19 antiviral treatment must begin as soon as possible because antiviral treatment has to be started within five days of symptom onset to be most effective.
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| Will I get tested for COVID-19 during my in-person assessment? |
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| In some cases, yes. A COVID-19 test will be performed if recommend by the medical professional and if you meet testing eligibility as set out by provincial guidelines. |
Can I get antiviral treatment?
Antiviral treatments are now available in the community (outside of a hospital) for people with symptoms (even if mild) who are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. These treatments must be taken within the first 5 days of your symptoms starting.
Take the Ontario COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment Screener tool online to determine if you are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and may benefit from these treatments.
You can use the screening tool even if you do not have symptoms, to be prepared in case you get sick.
Health care providers may also determine if antiviral treatment is appropriate for patients based on individual circumstances even if they do not belong to one of the groups listed.
Antiviral treatment is not a substitute for vaccination, antiviral treatment is intended for those who are at a higher risk of severe outcomes and hospitalization.
Eligible individuals include:
Effective immediately, the following higher-risk groups are eligible to be tested and assessed for antiviral treatments, such as Paxlovid, in Ontario:
- Individuals aged 18 and over who are immunocompromised (have an immune system that is weakened by a health condition or medications);
- Individuals aged 70 and over;
- Individuals aged 60 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses; and
- Individuals aged 18 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses and at least one risk condition (e.g., a chronic medical condition)
Anyone who is eligible for an assessment is now also eligible for a PCR test at any testing centre in Ontario.
What to do if you think you are eligible:
Treatment for antivirals must be started within five days (depending on treatment) of when your symptoms began.
Individuals who are part of higher risk groups and who have COVID-19 symptoms (even if mild) should immediately seek testing and care, by contacting their health care provider or visiting a clinical assessment centre (where you can get tested, assessed, and provided treatment or a prescription).
Use a rapid antigen test if you have one. However, as rapid antigen tests may be negative in the early stage of infection, seek PCR testing and assessment immediately if the test is negative or if you don’t have a rapid antigen test.
Next Steps:
- Contact your primary care provider (like your family doctor);
- Search for your local COVID-19 Care Clinic /Clinical Assessment Centre (filter your search location type by "Clinical Assessment Centre" and book an appointment);
- Book an appointment at the Ottawa Hospital Treatment Clinic;
- Call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Where to access antiviral treatment in Ottawa
Ontario is now making it easier for eligible individuals with a prescription to access antivirals by expanding dispensing locations to include participating pharmacies across the province. A list of pharmacies that are dispensing Paxlovid will be available at Ontario.ca/Antivirals as of April 13, 2022.
If you have one of more of the following moderate to severe symptoms you should immediately call 911 or go to the emergency department:
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Severe difficulty breathing (struggling for each breath, can only speak in single words);
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Severe chest pain (constant tightness or crushing sensation);
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Feeling confused or unsure of where you are;
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Losing consciousness.
Resources:
- Province of Ontario - COVID-19 antiviral treatment
- Patient handout - Antiviral treatment (Paxlovid) (April 11, 2022)
- Guidance for health care providers: Access to COVID-19 antiviral treatment (Paxlovid) (April 11, 2022)
- The Ottawa Hospital - COVID-19 treatment information for providers and prescribers
- Information about Evusheld (Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab): Reference for health care providers who may be prescribing or administering Evusheld
- Patient handout on Evusheld
Rapid antigen tests for the general public
Rapid antigen tests detect certain proteins in the virus to confirm the presence of COVID-19. A sample, which can be self-collected, is taken using a swab in the nose and/or throat or nasopharynx (behind your nose and above the back of your throat) and can produce a result in as little as 15 minutes.
| Rapid testing for at-home use |
| Expanding access to free rapid tests to the general public will to help detect COVID‑19 earlier and stop the spread of the virus. Starting February 9 2022, Ontario will be distributing 5.5 million rapid antigen tests each week for eight weeks through pharmacy and grocery locations across the province, as well as through community partners in vulnerable communities. You can find addresses of participating locations using this chart. Search “city” to narrow down your results. Learn more about rapid testing for at-home use program, how to collect a rapid antigen test sample or read our frequently asked questions about rapid antigen testing (RAT. |
| Rapid antigen testing for workplaces |
| Rapid antigen testing is also known as rapid testing or point of care (POC) testing. It is available for asymptomatic individuals who are part of a workplace or organization that is participating in the Provincial Antigen Screening Program or private testing. |
| Rapid antigen testing (RAT) & school take-home testing kits |
| There have been changes to the testing strategy in Ottawa. PCR take-home tests are no longer available in schools as the province is now providing rapid antigen tests for students and staff in Ottawa. Rapid antigen tests are provided by schools to staff and students and should be used if they develop symptoms of COVID-19. For more information visit our webpage. |
Private testing options for international and domestic travellers
| Learn more about COVID-19 testing for the purpose of pre-travel clearance |
Private testing options for international and domestic travellersFollowing testing guidance from the Ministry of Health, Ottawa’s assessment centres no longer provide free COVID-19 tests for the purpose of pre-travel clearance. Travellers should consult their travel carrier’s guidelines to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about requirements. Travellers should also refer to the federal government’s travel website for up-to-date expectations and requirements related to their destination. If there is a requirement to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test when traveling domestically or internationally, it is important to ensure ample time for testing and receiving results. COVID-19 testing services are available for a fee, and travellers in need of a test are encouraged to search for convenient local options. Travellers are also responsible for verifying COVID-19 testing requirements with their airline or the place they will be visiting. Suggested private providers to get tested for pre-travel clearance:
Pharmacie MediOne
Ottawa West Travel Medicine Clinic
Riverside Travel Medicine Clinic
Appletree Medical Centres
Immigration Physician Ottawa
Lacroix Medical Clinic
Dynacare Clinics in Montreal
Shoppers Drug Mart
Please note that this is for informational purposes only and there are fees associated at these clinics. |
Frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing
| Is there a possibility that a person who gets the virus once can get it again? |
| Most people who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection will have some immunity to protect against future infection or to make a future infection less severe. However, reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is possible. For this reason, NACI (the National Advisory Committee on Immunization) recommends that COVID-19 vaccines be offered to individuals who have previously been infected with COVID-19. Although the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada are effective, protection from COVID-19 takes time to develop. You should not assume that you will be protected right away. Also, no vaccine is 100% effective - there will be a small percentage of people who will remain unprotected despite being vaccinated and vaccines may not protect against all variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Because of ongoing COVID-19 transmission in the community and because the vaccines will not protect everyone, it is therefore important that you continue to follow public health measures (e.g., physical distancing, avoiding close contact with non-household members, wearing a mask, staying home when sick, and practicing hand hygiene) to keep each other safe, whether you have been vaccinated or not. |
| Should I get re-tested once I have recovered from COVID-19? |
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Ottawa Public Health and the Province of Ontario do not recommend re-testing after finishing isolation unless new symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19 develop after isolation has ended. Another test is not needed to discontinue isolation for those who have recovered from COVID-19. Most individuals can discontinue self-isolation when:
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| Why am I still testing positive for COVID-19 after my self-isolation period has ended? Am I still contagious? |
PCR Test after infection:Continuing to test positive after recovery from COVID-19 infection is common, with some people still testing positive on a PCR test for weeks or months after their initial infection. This is because the PCR test is detecting viral remains that are no longer living and unable to cause infection. This means you are no longer contagious. Therefore, it is not recommended that individuals without symptoms undergo PCR testing for at least 90 days after the initial COVID-19 infection. If the person develops new symptoms of COVID-19 within that 90 day period, consultation with a health care provider is recommended to help with the decision on whether to do further testing. Note that individuals who develop new symptoms of COVID-19 should complete the provincial screening tool and follow the isolation and mask use instructions provided. Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) after infection:Rapid antigen tests (RAT) are generally less sensitive to the virus than PCR tests and work better in symptomatic people. If a person tests positive using a RAT, with or without symptoms, they should follow isolation and mask use guidelines until they have completed the required self-isolation period and symptoms have been improving for 24 hours, even if a test repeated within the isolation period is negative. By 10 days after developing symptoms or testing positive (20 days if immune compromised), there are very few people who have any remaining viable virus – which means they are no longer contagious. Therefore, required isolation and masking precautions can be ended based on time from symptom onset or positive test date (whichever is earlier) and further testing is not recommended. After testing positive for COVID-19 on either a PCR test or RAT, individuals can begin participating in RAT screening programs (e.g., workplace programs that test for COVID-19 infection regularly in those without symptoms) 30 days after the initial COVID-19 infection. If the person develops new symptoms of COVID-19 during the 30 day period following a positive RAT, consultation with a health care provider is recommended to help with the decision on whether to do further testing. Note that individuals who develop new symptoms of COVID-19 should complete the provincial screening tool and follow the isolation and mask use instructions provided. |
Ottawa’s daily testing update
Visit the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce website.
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