Effective immediately, Ontarians should only seek testing at assessment centres if you are:
- Showing COVID-19 symptoms
- Testing should be conducted as soon as possible (while you have symptoms), but if you recently had symptoms and are now symptom-free, you are still eligible for COVID-19 testing. When contacting the Assessment/Testing Centre, please notify that your test it is for symptomatic testing.
- Have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by: your public health unit, an individual who tested positive that you have been in close contact with, or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app
- Including individuals requiring a test to return to school or day care
- A resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by your local public health unit
- Eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care
- Including individuals who require testing to meet ministry guidelines (e.g. prior to a visit in a Long-Term Care home or prior to a medical procedure)
If you require urgent care, call 911 or visit the hospital emergency department and advise them of your symptoms and travel history, if applicable.
Effective December 11, per provincial policy, you will no longer be able to get a publicly-funded COVID-19 test for international travel. COVID-19 tests for travellers are available through private providers for a fee. Please note: Region of Waterloo Public Health does not maintain a listing of private laboratory services.
For more information about when to visit an assessment centre or a pharmacy for testing, visit Ontario's COVID-19 testing and testing location information webpage.
Use the infographic: Why we test and where to go to help determine if you should make an appointment at an assessment centre or a pharmacy.
Please call the assessment centres below to schedule an appointment for testing.
Before going to an assessment centre
- If you have any symptoms use the self-assessment tool. For schools and child care centres, use the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool. The screening tool will help determine if you need to seek care, or testing, based on your symptoms. Follow the instructions in the tool.
- Determine whether you should visit an assessment centre or pharmacy for testing.
- You do not need a referral from a primary care provider or Public Health to access testing. All the assessment centres take self-referrals.
- If you are unable to leave your home for testing due to a medical condition, speak to your health care provider or call an assessment centre.
Assessment and testing centres
Note: This information is provided by the assessment centres and may change. For full details, visit the website for each assessment centre or check social media for updates.
| Location | Hours |
|---|---|
|
Cambridge-North Dumfries Community Assessment and Testing Centre (Cambridge Memorial Hospital)
To cancel your appointment, please call 226-895-1050 and select option 3. |
8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
|
Grand River Hospital COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing Centre 15 Charles Street West, Kitchener (former Charles Street Transit Terminal)
You do not need a car to be tested. There is a separate testing area for individuals who arrive by foot. To cancel your appointment, please submit a test cancellation form. |
7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| St. Mary's General Hospital COVID-19 Testing Centre 50 Bathurst Drive, Unit 1, Waterloo For an appointment call 519-885-9517 or register online for next day appointments. To cancel your appointment, please call 226-989-4966. |
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seven days a week |
|
Kitchener-Waterloo-Wilmot-Wellesley-Woolwich (KW4) Community Assessment Centre |
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
For assessment and testing information for health care workers please visit our Health Professionals page.
Pharmacies
You may seek testing at a pharmacy if you do not have symptoms and you meet the testing criteria. View Ontario's COVID-19 testing and testing location information webpage for details on which local pharmacies perform COVID-19 testing.
If you have symptoms go to an assessment centre.
After you are tested
If you get tested, remain in self-isolation while you wait for your results.
Please note that if you are a returning traveller and under the Quarantine Act, a negative test does not exempt you from the 14 day self-isolation period required by the Quarantine Act.
Test results
After you've had your COVID-19 test, it gets sent to a lab for testing. The result is reported to the Ontario Laboratories Information System, the Ministry’s repository for test results. Results can take a few days to become available.
Please be advised that Public Health does not receive negative test results and does not have the capacity to look up results for individuals requesting their results.
Public Health receives all positive results and will contact you directly if you test positive for having COVID-19.
You can access your test results:
- Online at Ontario’s COVID-19 test results website
- Online through laboratory portals you are subscribed to (e.g. Life Labs or Dynacare)
- By contacting your primary care provider
- By contacting the Assessment and Testing Centre where you were tested
Continue to follow the instructions given to you when you were tested while you wait for your results.
If you test positive for having COVID-19:
- Continue self-isolation
- If you live with others, your household members should also immediately self-isolate and seek testing
- If you have had high risk, close contact with others, within 48 hours of when you developed symptoms, tell these close contacts to self-isolate and get tested
If you test negative for having COVID-19
Continue to follow the instructions given to you when you got tested. Practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, wash your hands often and continue to self-monitor for symptoms. Get tested again if symptoms develop. Please refer to COVID-19 testing handout for more details.
Public Health is not able to provide you a copy of your results.
Please note: Region of Waterloo Public Health is not able to expedite test results for any reason including travel, medical procedures or visitation requirements at long-term care or retirement homes.
Self-reporting positive results
If you test positive for having COVID-19 you can self-report online through Contact+ on the Ministry's test results website.
By self-reporting, you will help us:
- Quickly locate and confirm accurate contact information
- Speed up call wait times
- Track and alert anyone you have been in close contact with
You will receive a unique 10-digit key that you can use with the COVID Alert App that will notify users if they have been exposed.
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