Waiting period for a COVID-19 test is 10 days or longer at some Montreal testing sites

If you’ve developed COVID-19 symptoms and live in Montreal, you could be waiting until next year to get a PCR test.

Some government-run testing sites have no spots open for an appointment until 2022, while others just show no availabilities at all.

At Hôtel-Dieu, for example, no future appointments were available as of Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the designated testing centre on De la Visitation St. didn’t have a spot open until Jan. 1.

The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la sante et des services sociaux, which represents 5,400 laboratory technicians in the province, says the recent surge in demand for testing is pushing laboratories to their limits.

"There's a feeling of despair. Those who are young enough to change career are doing so, while those who are close to retirement leave to enjoy their health," said Sandra Etienne, the union's vice-president, in an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday.

In some parts of Montreal you'll have to wait 10 days (!!) or longer to get a COVID test at a government testing site, unless more capacity opens up. Unreal. At that point, should you just stay home and isolate for that many days? cc: @DonaldVinh pic.twitter.com/MhemdlKVaL

— Joe Lofaro (@giuseppelo) December 21, 2021

The CIUSSS Ouest de Montreal, serving the western end of the island, tweeted Tuesday afternoon that it has no more testing capacity at two locations.

"Due to high traffic at our walk-in COVID-19 screening clinics, located in Kirkland and Verdun (Douglas Mental Health University Institute), the maximum testing capacity has been reached for the day," it said.

Othe people in Montreal are also reporting long waits for a test.

@sante_qc i was give a rapid test @ Hotel Dieu (Montreal) today and a note that if it's positive I must get a PCR. it is +ve but I cannot book an appointment. I've spent 2+ hours on hold with public health and my call keeps dropping. What am I supposed to do?!?!

— gabrielle brewer (@gabe__brewer) December 21, 2021

My daughter has tested positive with a rapid test. Only PCR test we can get is December 30th, when result gets registered with government. Numbers we see now are likely lower than reality #covid #montreal

— Kate Arthur (@KateArthur_ca) December 21, 2021

The lack of testing capacity follows several days of long lineups for PCR tests and days-long waits for some people to get their results.

Quebec’s ministry of health said Tuesday that “due to the high number of cases,” people who test positive will now be notified by email. Until now, public health has been calling people who have a positive result.

Quebec has seen the highest single-day records for new daily infections in the past few days, with a record-breaking 5,043 new cases recorded on Tuesday.

According to media reports, the province will break another record on Wednesday with more than 6,000 new cases.

The province's public health insititute reported on Tuesday that 80 per cent of new cases in Quebec are the Omicron variant, which is more contagious than other variants and more easily caught by double-vaccinated people.  

--With files from The Canadian Press