OTTAWA -- Two months after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Ottawa, more residents will soon be able to be tested for novel coronavirus.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches says as Ottawa Public Health wraps up surveillance testing of long-term care homes and emergency child care centres, “more of the population will be encouraged to present to rule out COVID-19 if they have symptoms of the infection.”

Currently, COVID-19 testing is only available for priority groups at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre and Care Clinics in Ottawa if they have symptoms of the virus, including essential workers, returning travellers and residents over the age of 60.

Dr. Etches says Ottawa Public Health continues to work with the Champlain Health Region Incident Command to make COVID-19 testing available to the public, carrying out testing to manage outbreaks and a surveillance exercise in long-term care homes and emergency child care centres.

“The Ontario-area laboratories appear to be managing the volume of testing created from encouraging people over 60 who have COVID-19-like symptoms to present to an Assessment Centre or Care Clinic for assessment,” Dr. Etches said in a statement.

The medical officer of health has previously said surveillance testing of all staff and residents of long-term care homes will be completed by this week’s deadline set by Ontario’s Ministry of Health.

Ottawa Public Health says the following list of individuals are recommended to present for testing for COVID-19 if they have at least one COVID-19 symptom:

  • Ottawa residents 60 years and older
  • Health care workers or staff who work in health care facilities and members of their households
  • First responders such as firefighters, police and paramedics
  • Critical infrastructure workers, including grocery stores, food services, maintenance and transportation workers
  • Cross-border workers
  • Caregivers and care providers
  • Individuals with frequent health care contact such as patients with cancer or undergoing chemotherapy, dialysis therapy, pre-or-post transplant, pregnancy, and newborns
  • A close contact of a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19
  • Returning international travellers
  • Members of remote, isolated, rural, and/or indigenous communities