Over 1000 Niagara residents have taken it upon themselves to get tested for COVID-19 without a doctor referral.
Niagara Health started accepting self-referrals on May 25th for anyone who felt they needed to be tested.
Since May 25th, 2100 tests have been conducted with over 1400 people who decided to self-refer.
If you live in Niagara and want to be tested for COVID-19, here is the information you need:
Niagara’s two Assessment Centres, in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, are accepting self-referrals for testing.
Anyone experiencing symptoms, or believes they may have been exposed to COVID, can self-refer by:
·Calling 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) to receive an appointment and instructions on how to access the centres.
·Coming for a walk-in appointment. Please note that walk-ins are accepted until 4:30 p.m. Walk-in patients will be asked to remain in their vehicles until all registration and administrative procedures are completed. Depending on the number of walk-in patients, this may take 30 to 60 minutes to complete.
For safety reasons, Assessment Centres have separate entrances from the hospital.
Those wishing to be tested are asked not to arrive at the main entrance or through the Emergency Department.
The St. Catharines Assessment Centre is located behind the Walker Family Cancer Centre at the rear of the St. Catharines Site at 1200 Fourth Ave. The centre also has a drive-through service. Those eligible for this service will be notified when their appointment is booked.
The Niagara Falls Assessment Centre is located in the Allied Health building behind the Greater Niagara General Site located at 5673 North Street in Niagara Falls. There is no access to the Allied Health building from the hospital.