Ontario’s new COVID-19 PCR testing eligibility has officially gone into effect, leaving many people unable to access free testing.

The new eligibility was announced on Thursday in light of record-breaking daily COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the province reported a new daily record of 16,713 new COVID-19 cases. With the new testing guidelines, this number is sure to drop as many symptomatic patients and high-risk exposures will not be able to access free testing.

Experts had already warned that testing capacities and delays were painting an inaccurate picture of COVID-19 in Ontario.

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With the new testing guidelines now in effect, we’ve put together a list of who is eligible for publicly-funded testing:

• Symptomatic people who are:
  • Hospitalized patients
  • Patients in Emergency Departments, if the treating physician advises to do so
  • Patient-facing health care workers
  • Staff, residents, essential care providers, and visitors in hospitals and congregate living settings, including long-term care, retirement homes, First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings, and correctional institutions
  • Outpatients for whom COVID-19 treatment is being considered
  • Underhoused or homeless
• People who are from First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities and people who travel into these communities for work
• Symptomatic elementary and secondary students and education staff who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school
• People being admitted to or transferred from hospital or congregate living setting
• High-risk contacts and asymptomatic/symptomatic people in confirmed or suspected outbreaks in high-risk settings. This includes hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, other congregate living settings and institutions, and other settings as directed by the local public health unit
• Individuals, and one accompanying caregiver, with written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager, OHIP
• Asymptomatic testing in hospital, long-term care, retirement homes and other congregate living settings

In addition, effective Friday, fully vaccinated individuals who develop symptoms of COVID-19 will have to isolate for five days after symptoms start. Previously, people were required to isolate for 10 days after the onset of symptoms.