THUNDER BAY - People tested for COVID-19 will receive results much quicker as tests are now being analyzed at a lab here in Thunder Bay.
The local Public Health Ontario began analyzing COVID-19 tests on Sunday, which local public health officials say will benefit not only the people of Thunder Bay, but all of Northwestern Ontario.
“That’s good for Thunder Bay but all of Northwestern Ontario,” said chief medical officer of health Janet DeMille. “When you think of testing done in First Nation Communities in Northern Ontario where their travel time is even longer than tests done in Thunder Bay, this presents an opportunity for the entire region.”
Previously, COVID-19 tests had to be sent to Toronto to be analyzed, which meant results would not be available for several days.
“That means sometimes the turnaround time, the time we get the result back after we do the testing, has been a bit challenging at times,” DeMille said. “Having the lab here means we can more easily meet the targets we want of having a short turn around time.”
The PHO lab expects to process approximately 275 tests per day and uses PCR, a form of molecular testing that can return results within hours.
DeMille said delays in getting tests results back can be challenging for public health officials to contain possible community spread, as well as add stress to the individual being tested.
“The ability to get a test and the ability to get that result back quickly just means they can act on it quicker,” she said. “That individual doesn’t have to wait. If they are isolating and they are negative, they don’t have to wait as long.”
DeMille added there are certain situations where a quick turnaround time is even more important, such as a possible outbreak stemming from an event or workplace.
“We would quickly want to assess if an outbreak might be happening and quickly do further testing so we can implement certain measures to get that outbreak under control and this provides more opportunity to be able to do that,” she said.
More than 11,700 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the district, with 83 being positive and 10,610 negative. There are three active COVID-19 cases in the region and 1,059 test results are still pending.