Joint statement on COVID-19 testing from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and Ottawa Public Health

OTTAWA—There have been record-setting volumes at the Brewer Assessment Centre in recent days.

We knew that with kids returning to school we would see these volumes. To prepare, we have tripled staffing in the last month for testing children and youth at the centre. More are being trained and still more are being hired.

Additional staff are being trained to extend hours of operation at the Brewer Assessment Centre by 4 hours/day, to 12 hours of operation 7 days/week. The hours for the drive-through Assessment Centre on Coventry Rd. will be extended as well, and the technical issues related to the booking system have been resolved.

We understand several individuals have been instructed by public health to seek testing as they are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It is important to know that testing is only recommended for individuals showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 unrelated to pre-existing conditions and individuals who have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Further information is available on the Ottawa Public Health Website.

NOTE: It is best to wait five days since contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for the test to be as accurate as possible.

Residents can also get tested for COVID-19 at either the drive-through Assessment Centre on Coventry Rd. (by appointment for ages 14 and older), or either of the Care Clinics (Moodie or Heron) in Ottawa. For more information on locations and hours, please visit Ottawa Public Health’s Website.

We are doing everything we can to address the inconvenience of long wait times and line-ups.