COVID tests in Ontario will be appointment-only starting today

This comes after public scrutiny over families having to wait for hours in long lines before being able to be tested.

The announcement was made last week by Premier Doug Ford, as Ontario prepares to adapt its 155 assessment centres for the winter months.

The screening guidelines have also changed, now stating that only those who are symptomatic or in high-risk groups should get tested at a provincial facility. People who are asymptomatic may get a test by appointment at certain Ontario pharmacies.

The province closed testing centres on Sunday in order to prepare for the new model that is now in effect, and to catch up on some backlog in tests.

Ontario currently has a testing backlog of approximately 68,000 tests.