Waits for COVID-19 tests in Winnipeg stretch up to 4 hours as demand surges

The wait for a COVID-19 test in Winnipeg is growing as fast as the caseloads, with some lineups at drive-uptesting centresmeandering through parking lots and onto theroads.

There were reports on Tuesday of people waiting in their idling cars for close to four hours at the MPI site on King Edward Street.

"It's ridiculous.I have a sick kid in the car and we can't go to the washroom or anything," saidKristie Page, who had been in the car line for 2 hours and was nowhere near the front. "This is insane."

Coleman Paul had also been in line that long and had to take time off work to do it, but he was more forgiving.

"It's a long waitbut it is what it is," he said."It's more important to get tested and make sure everybody's safe. You gotta wait, that's just how it goes."

I have a sick kid in the car and we can't go to the washroom or anything. This is insane.- Kristie Page

Virginia Jackson,who had been waiting just over three hours, said cars were pulling in from three different directions, causing a gridlock at the site.

"No one's moving, [it's] terrible. Somebody should be controlling them coming in," she said.

Lineups were also long at the walk-up site onSt. Mary's Road with people waiting outside intemperatures close to20 C and a wind chill that made it feel closer to30 at times.

Jackson,Paul and Page all said the province needs to openmore testing sites as it faces an increased demand due to the rise of the extremely transmissible Omicron variant.

There are currently nine test sites in Winnipeg.

Page said the province should go one step further:"Why aren't we using the rapid testing we have stockpiled?" she asked.

As of November, the Manitoba governmenthad distributed about 1.5 million of its 2.7 million rapid tests, prioritizing schools and businesses.Other provinceshave made the tests freely available at locations such as libraries, liquor stores and gas stations.

Exactly one week ago, Premier HeatherStefansonsaidsheintends toadvocatefor those teststo be made more publicly available.

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, said last Wednesday more details would be made public soon.

There havebeen no updates since then, although a spokesperson for the province told CBC News in an emailon Tuesday it is working on a system to "greatly increase" the use of rapid testing.

NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwarasays expanding access to testing is critical for stemming the spread of COVID-19 and being able to make sure that people canmakeinformed health decisions.

"Folks need timely access to COVID testing, not to be waiting 3 and four hours in a line in the freezing cold. That is a deterrent from people accessing testing,"Asagwarasaid.

"We can do better. We must do better than that."

Long lineups for COVID-19 tests are back

3 years ago

Duration 1:56

The wait for a COVID-19 test in Winnipeg is growing as fast as the caseloads, with some lineups at drive-up testing centres meandering through parking lots and onto the roads.