Only select individuals who are at a higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19 are eligible to receive a PCR or molecular testing.

To determine if you are eligible for COVID-19 PCR testing see the provincial COVID-19 testing and treatment page.

If you have COVID‑19 symptoms and are at a higher risk of severe illness, you should get tested for COVID‑19 (by molecular or rapid antigen test) and seek care as soon as possible as you may benefit from available COVID‑19 treatments. These treatments must be taken immediately within the first five to seven days (depending on the treatment) of symptom onset.

If you are eligible to receive a PCR or molecular test you can book an appointment for testing at a Pharmacy or Community Health clinic near you.

Pharmacies 

Book an appointment for COVID-19 Testing and Screening through a Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Assessment Centre's within Algoma

Call or book online at a COVID-19 Assessment Center within your community.

Elliot Lake

Elliot Lake Family Health Team, Call to book:  (705) 461-8882

Wawa

Lady Dunn Health Centre, Call to book: (705) 914-1114

Blind River & Thessalon

North Shore Health Network, Call to book: 1-888-425-0321 or 705-356-2265 ext. 2662

First Nation Communities: If you live within a First Nation Community, you can check with your Health Centre for testing options in your community. Testing availability varies by Health Centre.

To access your COVID-19 test results see Ontario Health’s Access to COVID-19 Test Result page.

Symptoms of COVID-19 and its variants range from mild — like the flu and other common respiratory infections — to severe. If you feel sick, it’s important that you stay home and talk with a primary care provider or doctor if necessary.

If you have the symptoms of COVID-19 listed below, assume that you may have the virus and may be contagious.

• Any one or more of:
  • fever or chills
  • cough
  • shortness of breath
  • decreased or loss of taste or smell

• Any two or more of:
  • runny nose or nasal congestion
  • headache
  • extreme fatigue
  • sore throat
  • muscle aches or joint pain
  • gastrointestinal symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhea)

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 you should stay home and self-isolate until all of the following apply:

• your symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if you had nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea)
• you do not have a fever
• you have not developed additional symptoms

You should then continue to take the following additional precautions for up to 10 days after your symptoms started:

• wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings
• avoid non-essential activities where you need to take off your mask (for example, dining out)
• avoid non-essential visits to anyone who is immunocompromised or may be at higher risk of illness (for example, seniors)
• avoid non-essential visits to highest risk settings in the community such as hospitals and long-term care homes

Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 can help prevent serious illness if taken quickly after symptoms start (within the first few days). Antivrial treatments are available to the following higher risk groups:

• 60 years of age or older
• 18 years of age or older and are immunocompromised
• 18 – 59 years old and at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 including having:
  • one or more underlying medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart or lung disease), OR
  • inadequate immunity against COVID-19 from:
    • not receiving a full primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine
    • having received a full primary series but no COVID-19 vaccine or COVID-19 infection within the past six months

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, use this screener to determine if you are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and eligible for antiviral treatments. You can use this screener even if you do not have symptoms, to be prepared in case you get sick.

If you have symptoms (even if mild) and are at higher risk of severe COVID‑19, seek testing and care immediately by either:

• contacting your local pharmacy
• contacting a primary care provider (for example, your family doctor or nurse practitioner)

If you are immunocompromised and test positive for COVID-19 you should isolate and stay home for 10 days. You also may benefit from available therapies to prevent severe illness.

If you test negative for COVID-19, you can stop isolating at home once your symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if you had nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea) and you do not have a fever.

You should then continue to take the following additional precautions for up to 10 days after your symptoms started:

• wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings
• avoid non-essential activities where you need to take off your mask (for example, dining out)
• avoid non-essential visits to anyone who is immunocompromised or may be at higher risk of illness (for example, seniors)
• avoid non-essential visits to highest risk settings in the community such as hospitals and long-term care homes

Individuals who are close contacts of a person who has COVID-19 no longer are required to quarantine regardless of vaccinations status.

It is advised that closed contacts wear a mask for 10 days from their last exposure and avoid non-essential visits to vulnerable individuals and high-risk settings. If symptoms do arise you should immediately isolate.

If you do not work within a high-risk setting, you are able to return to work after COVID-19 if your symptoms have been approving for at least 24 hours (48 if you had nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea), you do not have a fever, and you have not developed additional symptoms.

If you work in a high-risk setting (such as a hospital, long-term care home, or a retirement home), you should speak with your employer and follow your workplace’s guidance for return to work.

Workplaces can choose to implement their own policies for masking, screening, physical distancing, vaccination, etc. When developing policies, it is encouraged to seek input from employees across all levels of the business or organization. To be effective, it is important to clearly communicate who the policy applies to, what is expected and how it will be enforced.

Please note that this should not be relied upon or treated as legal advice. Workplaces should consult with a qualified legal professional to address their specific circumstances.

It is important to do your Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) properly to get the most accurate result.

Check out this fact sheet with the steps to collect your sample for the rapid antigen test. There are steps to swab your mouth and nose for most accurate results.

You can also watch this video to help walk though through the steps for doing a RAT correctly.

Depending on where you are travelling to, you may be required to present a molecular or antigen test result.

Travel requirements are generally Federal, overseen by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and enforced by the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA). Local public health does not have records of requirements for travel to all destinations.

You will need to identify what is required pre-departure, based on the mode of travel (land, air, etc.) and where you are going.  

To know if and what type of test you will need, you can connect with:

• Your travel agent
• The airline you are flying with, or the airport you are flying out of or into
• The country or location you are visiting

To learn more about the most current COVID-19 travel, testing, and border guidance see the Government of Canada’s webpage.

YES. While previous COVID-19 infection can provide some protection, staying up-to-date vaccination including booster doses is still recommended to provide longer-lasting and stronger protection.
 

To learn more about when you should get your next dose after having COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.

Masks

We advise all wear a tight-fitting, mask in crowded indoor public spaces, especially those at higher risk of severe infection.

A mask acts as a barrier. It reduces the chance of spreading respiratory droplets to others and prevents droplets from landing on surfaces when you cough or sneeze. Wearing non-medical masks protects others from your respiratory droplets, however, is not an appropriate medical device to protect you from droplets from others.

If your workplace requires you to wear a mask you can review Ontario's recommendations on how to use a mask appropriately.

Hospitals, healthcare settings, long-term care homes, retirement homes, businesses and organizations may implement their own rules and policies related to making within their settings, which should be respected and followed.

Eye Protection

Eye protection is a type of personal protective equipment that protects the eyes of the person wearing it from contact with splashes, sprays and splatter of bodily fluids from other people.

In health-care settings, face shields and other eye protection are worn with a face mask so that the eyes, nose and mouth of the wearer are protected from the fluids of other people.

Eye protection should not be used as a substitute for a face mask. 

To learn more public health advice about COVID-19 see the following credible resources:

• Protection from COVID‑19 and other respiratory illnesses
• COVID‑19 testing and treatment
• Public Health Ontario
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• World Health Organization
• Ministry of Health

If you are interested in learning more about the Provincial COVID-19 supports available see the Ontario's COVID-19: Support for the people page.

Indigenous self-determination, leadership and knowledge has been successful in protecting Indigenous communities in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous people may be interested in culturally relevant resources below:

•  Canadian Red Cross Resources for indigenous Communities: Includes Resources for Indigenous youth; Resources for Indigenous Leadership 

Indigenous Language COVID-19 Resources (Printable)

• Public Health Ontario Multi-lingual Resources
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

To connect with the General COVID-19 Phone Line, please call is 705-541-7370 or toll free at 1-888-440-3730.