The province is shifting priority on who should get tested for COVID-19. Earlier in the pandemic, Premier Doug Ford said anyone who wanted to get tested, could.

Today the province’s medical experts said only those people with symptoms or close contacts of people who have tested positive should go to an assessment centre.  People who are asymptomatic or have had no known exposure will be turned away from assessment centres.  Assessment centres in many parts of the province have had long line-ups and there is a backlog of tests currently in the system.

Ontario’s deputy chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe says this shift is to make sure that test processing capacity is there for those that need it most.

Yesterday, the province announced testing would be available in 60 pharmacies across Ontario for people without symptoms. Those open tomorrow (Friday).