NDP: Ford government must act now to address COVID-19 test result delays

Hamiltonians waiting as long as two weeks for COVID-19 test results that should arrive in 48 hours or less

QUEEN’S PARK — Monique Taylor, NDP MPP for Hamilton Mountain, is calling on the Ford government to step up and put an end to excessive waits for COVID-19 test results by fixing their broken testing system.

“Despite the Ford government’s claim that test results arrive in 48 hours, people in my community are waiting a week or longer for COVID-19 test results – with some still waiting after 13 days,” Taylor said in Monday’s Question Period. “These delays are making it incredibly difficult for Ontarians to ensure the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones.”

Throughout the pandemic, the Ford government has repeatedly failed to meet its own targets on COVID-19 testing, from taking several months to reach their own daily test targets, to their ongoing failure to adequately test migrant farm workers as part of a strategy to contain the virus.

Taylor said the buck stops with Ford, and his apparent strategy of denying that anyone is waiting is adding insult to injury.

“To visit a loved one in long-term care, you need a negative test with the sample taken no more than 14 days prior,” explained Taylor. “This means that kids and grandkids who have already been forced to wait months to visit their loved ones in long-term care are now missing visiting appointments because of this government’s failures.

“How much longer are Ontarians going to have to wait before this government finally gets around to doing their jobs and finally fixing the problems with our testing services?”