Minister calls 13-day COVID test result delay ‘not acceptable’

But Ontario Health says turnaround times in line with province

Ontario’s health minister calls a 13-day-plus delay for COVID-19 test results “not acceptable” and the premier says “something’s wrong.”

But no one is able to say why a rash of significant test delays continues in Hamilton.

On Tuesday, Hamilton public health said residents are “almost always” waiting at least 10 days for negative test results, if not longer — an issue that appears to have arisen within the last week and a half, coinciding with people’s need to get negative tests to visit loved ones in long-term care or retirement homes.

At a Wednesday provincial press briefing, Health Minister Christine Elliott was asked about a case involving a woman who has been waiting 13 days for her test results.

“The length of days that you’ve suggested is not acceptable,” Elliott said to a reporter. “Certainly (that’s) something that we would want to know about and follow up with … to understand what’s happening and see what we need to do to get things moving faster.”

Premier Doug Ford also called a 13-day delay “unacceptable.”

Elliott advised people to contact their local public health unit if they have concerns about turnaround times.

But Hamilton’s medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, has said public health only has access to what’s posted on the province’s online portal, the same information available to those awaiting results.

People with questions should instead contact the person who administered the test or their primary care provider, she said.

Richardson acknowledged Hamiltonians are experiencing “real issues” with turnaround time for negative results. Positive results come in faster. She said Tuesday that public health is “in regular contact with Ontario Health and with the ministry to try to see what it is that’s causing the problem and encourage them to find a solution.”

The Ministry of Health did not say if it is looking into the issue.

Asked about the Hamilton delays, Ontario Health, the agency overseeing the province’s lab networks, said: “Our data shows that test turnaround times for the west region remain in line with those of the rest of the province.”

“We’re working to understand if there may be other factors at play that may be contributing to potential delays with respect to people getting their results,” a spokesperson said.