COVID-19 - Get vaccinated and find public health advice for residents and businesses.
PCR testing is only available to certain eligible populations. Don't visit hospital emergency departments for testing. If you have even mild COVID-19 symptoms and are not eligible for a test, you must self-isolate and use the self-isolation guidance to find out if your household members need to self-isolate or self-monitor.
If you test positive for COVID-19 or have tested positive in the last couple of months, you may get a call from the Provincial Case and Contact Management Team wanting to ask you some health and demographic questions. This is a legitimate call and not a scam. If a member of the Provincial Case and Contact Management Team calls you, they will:
It's important to remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn't mean you won’t become positive for COVID-19.
If your test comes back negative, but you begin to develop COVID-19 symptoms, even if they're mild or your symptoms worsen, you should continue to self-isolate.
Individuals eligible for lab PCR testing are listed below. If you're unsure about your eligibility for a lab PRC test, take the provincial COVID-19 self-assessment.
Public Health doesn't recommend that employers request a negative PCR test for employees to return to work after isolation.
A standard COVID-19 test is a laboratory-PCR test. Most testing locations use a long, flexible swab to collect a sample through your nose, which is sent to a lab for testing. This is the most accurate type of test for COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health determines who is eligible for publically-funded PCR testing.
Rapid antigen tests and rapid molecular tests can provide results in about 15 minutes and help to stop the spread of COVID-19. See instructions on how to perform rapid antigen testing.
If you test positive on a rapid antigen test, no further testing is required unless you're eligible for lab PCR testing (see above). See self-isolation for instructions.
Niagara Region Public Health doesn't distribute or manage access to rapid antigen testing. Rapid antigen test are managed by the Province of Ontario. Find out where you can get free rapid antigen tests.
Using a RAT before a social event, gathering or visit in a non-highest risk setting
A non-highest risk setting is anywhere other than hospital or congregate living settings.
If you don't have symptoms and don't have a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 and you have access to a rapid antigen test, you should take the test as close to the event as possible (e.g. on the same day, ideally within a few hours of the event).
See "What your COVID-19 test results mean" for next steps.
When completing a rapid antigen test at home, a combined oral and nasal swab can be performed by following the collection instructions as it may increase test accuracy compared to a nasal sample only.
"How to" videos:
To dispose of your rapid antigen test, it is recommended to double bag the used test components including the swab, tube with solution and testing cassette before placing in the garbage. These materials are not recyclable or compostable.
Some individuals may have access to take-home polymerase chain reaction (PCR) self-collection kits, where they are able to complete the self-collection at home and drop the kit off at a location in their community to be processed at a lab.
See instructions on how to complete a deep nasal kit, combined throat and both nostrils kit or a combined oral and deep nasal kit are available to support the use of these kits.
Once you have collected your sample, you will need to send it to a laboratory for testing. Find testing locations that accepts PCR self-collection kits (search by postal code and filter by “services available”).
You can only book a test if you're eligible.
You can also get tested at the following clinics if you meet the eligibility criteria. You don't need to be a patient at these clinics to receive a COVID-19 test. This is not a full list of testing locations.
A select number of pharmacies in Niagara offer testing by appointment only. Other restrictions also apply. See criteria for getting tested at a participating pharmacy. Find a participating pharmacy near you.
There are now less invasive testing procedures available. When you take your child for a test, you may ask for the cheek / nose testing method. A video about nasal swabs for kids is available to watch with your child to help understand how the test will go.
Ask the health care professional taking your swab / COVID-19 test how you'll be receiving your test results.
If you were tested at a Niagara Health COVID-19 assessment centre, you'll receive directions on how to access lab results online. See Provincial portal, Niagara Health Navigator or MyChart below.
If you were tested at a Niagara Health COVID-19 assessment centre, and don't have a current Ontario health card, contact your health care provider (doctor's office) or the Release of Information Office at the site where you were tested.
Contact the Release of Information Office at 905-378-4647 ext. 52451.
Ontario has a user-friendly, online portal for the public to easily access their COVID-19 lab test results.
If results state, "Unable to post positive / negative results on this website or results unavailable on this site," your results may be available in another location. To find the other location, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Previous results". Verify the results in this section and match the date you had your COVID-19 test.
By offering faster and secure access to test results on your computer or mobile device, this portal will help ease pressures on public health units and frontline workers to provide this information so they can better focus on containing COVID-19.
Repeated login attempts may result in being locked out of the portal until midnight the next day.
Check your results by downloading a mobile app, available through Niagara Health.
If can take a while to get your MyChart PIN. We recommend you sign up as soon as possible.
Register for MyChart
Find COVID-19 lab results
If you know your swab went to a LifeLabs facility, you can access your results by registering for their free, secure service at my results.
Public Health doesn't have access to your COVID-19 test results. If you're having difficulty accessing your results or need a paper copy, call 905-378-4647 ext. 52451 and ask for the Release of Information Office. Watch this video to learn how to find your COVID-19 test results.
If you test positive on a COVID-19 test (rapid antigen test or PCR) you must self-isolate.
Anti-viral treatment is available for some eligible individuals. If you have a mild to moderate case of COVID-19, it's important to reach out to a doctor right away. Treatment is most effective if administered within five days of symptom onset. You can access treatments by contacting:
Lab PCR test for symptomatic individuals
If you tested negative on a lab PCR test, you should still isolate and remain home until you have no fever and symptom(s) have been improving for 24 hours (48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms are present). In this way, you're limiting the spread of other illnesses you may have had, such as cold, flu, other viral respiratory or gastrointestinal illness.
Rapid antigen test
A single test cannot rule out COVID-19 infection by itself.
If two consecutive rapid antigen tests, separated by 24 to 48 hours, are both negative, you should still isolate and remain home until you have no fever and symptom(s) have been improving for 24 hours or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms are present. In this way, you're limiting the spread of other illnesses you may have had, such as cold, flu, other viral respiratory or gastrointestinal illness.
Your household members may also discontinue isolation if you have two consecutive negative RAT results, separated by 24 to 48 hours as long as they do not have any symptoms and they have not had a positive test result themselves.
If you live or work in a congregate setting or are a health care worker, report your positive rapid antigen test using this online reporting portal.
Parents / guardians of school-aged children can report their child's positive PCR and rapid antigen tests on the school reporting portal.