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Symptomatic pregnant people, first responders now eligible for PCR testing

Brooke Taylor
Brooke Taylor
|
Jan 18 2022, 4:07 pm
Symptomatic pregnant people, first responders now eligible for PCR testing

Ontario has expanded publicly funded PCR testing eligibility to include additional symptomatic people as testing demand falls.

Guidance posted by the Ministry of Health on January 13 shows that symptomatic pregnant people, first responders and anyone aged 70 or over who is not yet fully vaccinated are eligible. The eligibility also expands to anyone over 60 “who is Indigenous and/or has additional risk factors.”

Ontario changed its PCR testing eligibility on December 31, preventing the majority of Ontarians access to free testing. The eligibility was changed as demand soared as the Omicron variant took hold in the province.

Health officials hoped that the PCR testing eligibility would ease demand for the tests. Testing numbers have fallen significantly in recent weeks. On December 31, the province conducted 75,093 tests. On Tuesday, there were just 31,355 tests administered.

It is unclear if the province will reopen testing to the general public. Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health told reporters last week that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should “assume” they have it.

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