OTTAWA -- One of Ottawa's COVID-19 testing centres reached capacity shortly after opening on Friday, as hundreds of people lined up across the city for a novel coronavirus test.

The Queensway-Carleton Hospital announced at 9 a.m. that the West COVID-19 Care Clinic on Moodie Drive had reached "maximum capacity" and would not be taking additional visitors for the day.

The West COVID-19 Care Clinic is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.  Photos on social media showed people lined up along Moodie Drive waiting for a test before the clinic opened on Friday.

At Brewer Arena, hundreds of people lined up before dawn to get a COVID-19 test at Ottawa's main COVID-19 Assessment Centre.

Kiavash Najafi posted on Twitter at 6:45 a.m. that he was number 29 in line.

 

On Wednesday, the Ottawa Hospital announced the hours of operation at the Brewer Arena would be expanded to 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told CTV News Ottawa's Christina Succi on Friday that Ottawa Public Health and its hospital partners are looking at all options to expand testing capacity, including paramedics and primary caregivers.