Assessment Centres

• The Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Centre at 25 Hester St. is open from 10 am to 3 pm daily.
• The West End COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 690 Main St. West is open from 11 am to 5 pm Sunday to Friday and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.
• The East End COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 2757 King Street East is open Monday to Friday 4 to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.
• If you are symptomatic after the Centre is closed and you do not need emergency care, please continue to self-isolate and call to book an appointment the following day.
• If you need emergency care at any time, please go to your nearest emergency department or call 911.

No. If you are in distress (e.g., significant trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, or have a significant worsening of any chronic disease symptoms), do not go to the Assessment Centre. Go to the nearest Emergency Department or call 911.

• In order to decrease wait times, ensure an orderly flow and to protect patients and staff by ensuring a safe physical space can be provided at the sites, we are  booking appointments at Assessment Centres.
• You can get an appointment time from your family doctor or Hamilton Public Health Services at 905-974-9848

Bring your Ontario health card and a list of your current medications. Wait times will depend on patient volume.

Yes. The COVID-19 Assessment Centres and Testing Centres can assess and test both children and adults who have appointments. Do not bring your child if they are well and do not need to be screened.

• The test involves taking a sample from the back of the nasal cavity with a swab.
• Information about how to manage symptoms and next steps will be provided.

• You can get test results on the provincial online portal

As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe care and work environment in the COVID-19 Assessment Centres, visitors who are not being tested will not be allowed to join patients in the Assessment Centre with the following exceptions:

• An adult accompanying a child who is a patient, a frail older person, a person with a disability
• Anyone acting as an interpreter

For those visiting the drive-through Ttesting Ccentre, please do not bring individuals in the vehicle who do not have an appointment (with the exception of those outlined above).

The safety of all staff, physicians, volunteers, students, patients, families and visitors remains a top priority. All patients visiting the COVID-19 Assessment Centres will be required to wear the mask provided and use the hand sanitizer prior to entering the facility.

• Areas for screening and assessment will be kept separate to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
• Everyone will be asked to sanitize their hands and put on a mask at the Centre entrance.
• Please also be mindful to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Yes. Your personal health information is protected under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
• The following information will be reported on the Ministry of Health of Ontario’s website:
  • Patient age and gender
  • Public Health Unit
  • Hospital involved
  • Type of transmission
  • Status (e.g. home isolation)

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but have no known exposure to COVID-19

• Self-isolate in your home away from others while you are waiting for test results. Practice physical distancing, frequent handwashing and clean commonly used surfaces in the home. Read more about self-isolating  

If Public Health has identified you as a close contact of a COVID-19 confirmed positive person identified by Public Health, whether you have or do not have COVID-19 symptoms

• Continue to follow the advice provided to you by public health regarding self-isolation.

If you do not have symptoms and have not been knowingly exposed to COVID-19

• You do not need to self-isolate. However, you should practice physical distancing by keeping 2 metres from others, wash hands often with soap and water, and monitor yourself for COVDI019 symptoms.    

What to do while you’re waiting for COVID-19 test results

If you were tested at the Drive-Through Testing Centre:

1. Check the provincial online portal to get your COVID-19 test results. 
2. You will need your health card number to access these results. It may take up to 7 days for your results to appear online.
3. Contact your family doctor to ask if they can look up your result on Clinical Connect. It may take up to 3 or more days for your results to appear on Clinical Connect.
4. If you still cannot get your test results and it has been four or more days since your test, you can return to the Drive-Through Testing Site. A nurse will be available at the main entrance to retrieve your result online and print it for you. This service is available Monday through Friday from 12 noon until 3 pm.  Government-issued photo identification must be presented.

If you were tested at the West or East End Assessment Centres:

1. Check the provincial online portal to get your COVID-19 test results. 
2. You will need your health card number to access these results. It may take up to 7 days for your results to appear online.
3. Contact your family doctor to ask if they can look up your result on Clinical Connect. It may take up to 3 or more days for your results to appear on Clinical Connect.

You are not able to access test results at the Drive-Through Testing Centre if you did not originally get tested there.

Hamilton Public Health Services will only follow-up with you if you test positive for COVID-19.

It's important to remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

If you receive a positive test result

• Continue to self-isolate and a public health nurse will call you within 24 hours. If you need to speak to someone more immediately, call the Public Health Services COVID-19 hotline at (905) 974-9848.

If you receive a negative test result

• If you have had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, you should continue self-isolating for the remainder of the time required as a contact of a confirmed case.  If your symptoms persist or worsen, contact your doctor or public health so that re-testing can be considered. For those who had previously been instructed by public health to isolate, you should remain in isolation for the remainder of the required 14 days.
• If you have not had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, tested negative but still have symptoms: continue to self-isolate until you are feeling well (ie, your symptoms have resolved).  If your symptoms persist or worsen, contact your doctor or public health to discuss next steps. 
• If you have not had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, tested negative and have no symptoms: you can resume your normal activities, including returning to work.

• If your test comes back negative, but you begin to develop COVID-19 symptoms, even if they're mild, you need to be re-tested. This is important so we can all protect the health and safety of our loved ones and our community from whatever infection you may have.

For pending test results

• If your test results indicate they are indeterminate, pending or in progress, your test has not yet been completed.  As such, please check back later for your test results. 

No. The Assessment Centres and Testing Centre have been established strictly to screen and assess patients for COVID-19. Notes for employment or other purposes will not be provided by physicians or other clinical staff.