Please note: Individuals who have tested POSITIVE for COVID-19 will be contacted by the TBDHU; however, individuals who have tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19 will not be contacted.
All assessment centres are available only to those who have been directed to attend and have an appointment. Walk-ins will not be accepted.
Testing
Anyone with ANY symptom of COVID-19 should call to be assessed for testing.
Testing is also available for:
People without symptoms who are concerned that they have been exposed to COVID-19 (this includes people who are contacts of or may have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected case).
People without symptoms who are at risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their employment, including essential workers (e.g. health care workers, grocery store employees, food processing plants).
People wanting to resume visits at Long-Term Care Homes, Retirement Homes and other Residential Care Settings.
To be assessed and scheduled for testing, call the assessment centre nearest you. Information on each assessment centre is in the tabs below. Appointments are required.
Testing is only available to those who have been directed by the assessment centre or Telehealth Ontario to attend and have be given an appointment.
To be assessed and scheduled for testing call TBRHSC at (807) 935-8100 from 9:00am to 5:00pm, 7 days a week. If you have been told that you are eligible for testing, you will be contacted and told where and when the testing will take place.
The Thunder Bay Assessment Centre is located at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Assessment in the community is offered through the Paramedicine Program of Superior North EMS.
All district assessment centres are available only to those who have been directed by TBDHU district offices, their health care provider or Telehealth to attend. All centres are by appointment only.
TBDHU district offices can accept all COVID-19 inquiries Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the numbers listed below.
Nipigon Assessment Centre
Communities of Nipigon, Dorion, Red Rock
For a testing appointment call TBDHU branch office at (807) 886-1060 or the Nipigon District Family Health Team at (807) 887-5645 (Monday to Thursday only) or your health care provider.
For all other COVID-19 inquiries call TBDHU at (807) 886-1060 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
Terrace Bay Assessment Centre
Communities of Schreiber, Terrace Bay
For a testing appointment, call TBDHU branch office at (807) 825-7770 or your health care provider.
For all other COVID-19 inquiries call TBDHU at (807) 825-7770 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
Marathon Assessment Centre
Community of Marathon
For a testing appointment, call TBDHU branch office at 807-229-1820 or Marathon Family Health Team at (807) 229-3243.
For all other COVID-19 inquiries, call TBDHU at (807) 229-1820 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
Manitouwadge Assessment Centre
Community of Manitouwadge
For a testing appointment, call Sante Manitouwadge Health at (807) 826-3251, ext. 221 or TBDHU Marathon branch office at (807) 229-1820.
For all other COVID-19 inquiries, call TBDHU at (807) 229-1820 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
Greenstone Assessment Centre
Community of Greenstone
For a testing assessment, call TBDHU branch office at (807) 854-0454, Greenstone Family Health Team at (807) 854-0051 or Geraldton Medical Group at (807) 854-0224
For all other COVID019 inquiries, call TBDHU at (807) 854-0454 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
NorWest Community Health Centres – Longlac Site
Open to residents of Longlac; will test members of Aroland, Long Lake 58 and Ginoogaming First Nations on days Dilico is not providing testing in First Nations communities.
For a testing assessment, contact NWCHC clinic at (807) 876-2271 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For all other COVID-19 inquiries, call TBDHU at (807) 854-0454 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
Individuals residing in areas that are not close to a Thunder Bay or District Assessment Centre are advised to call their local nursing station, band office or the Thunder Bay District Health Unit directly for the latest information about COVID-19 testing. Call your local nursing station, band office, or TBDHU at (807) 625-5900 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630
All TBRHSC and SJCG employees (including Hogarth Riverview Manor and Bethammi Nursing Home) who require COVID-19 testing should refer to their internal Occupational Health and Safety Department to be referred for testing.
Employees from other long-term care or retirement home facilities can call TBDHU for assessment for testing. This includes Southbridge Roseview, Southbridge Pinewood, Pioneer Ridge, Roseview Manor, Southbridge Lakehead Manor, Nipigon LTC (at hospital), Terrace Bay (Wilkes-Terrace), Marathon LTC (at Wilson Memorial hospital), Geraldton LTC (at hospital) and Manitouwadge Health LTC (at hospital).
Results
Check your lab results online with Ontario's COVID-19 Test Results Viewer. (Note that the viewer will not work with Internet Explorer or iOS 12 and older).
Please note: Individuals who have tested POSITIVE for COVID-19 will be contacted by the TBDHU; however, individuals who have tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19 will not be contacted.
Current testing turn-around time is, on average, 2 days, with some tests taking up to 5 days, depending on where the test occurred.
When You Can Come Out of Self-Isolation
You can end your self-isolation when you have reached 14 days after your return from travel OR 14 days after your symptoms started, whichever is longer IF your symptoms are improving.
NOTE: If you are a health care worker, you have different criteria for coming out of self-isolation so you must follow the directions provided by your employer (e.g. Occupational Health and Safety).
If the result is positive you will be contacted by TBDHU.
If the result is negative, continue to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14 days. After the 14 days you can come out of self-isolation if your symptoms are improving.
If your symptoms are not improving, follow up with your health care provider. If your symptoms, worsen call your local assessment centre.
NOTE: If you are a health care worker, you have different criteria for coming out of self-isolation so you must follow the directions provided by your employer (e.g. Occupational Health and Safety).
Continue to self-isolate until you receive the result.
If the result is positive you will be contacted by TBDHU.
If the result is negative you can come out of self-isolation at this point if your symptoms are improving.
If your symptoms are not improving, follow up with your health care provider. If your symptoms worsen, call your local assessment centre.
NOTE: If you are a health care worker, you have different criteria for coming out of self-isolation so you must follow the directions provided by your employer (e.g. Occupational Health and Safety).
You can come out of your self-isolation 14 days after your symptoms started as long as your symptoms are improving.
If your symptoms are not improving, follow up with your health care provider. If your symptoms worsen, call your local assessment centre.
If the result is positive you will be contacted by TBDHU.
If the result is negative, you can come out of isolation 24 hours after your symptoms resolve.
If your symptoms are still present 14 days after they started and have not worsened, you can come out of isolation, but you need to follow up with your health care provider.
If your symptoms are not improving, follow up with your health care provider. If your symptoms worsen, call your local assessment centre.
You can come out of self-isolation 14 days after onset of symptoms, as long as your symptoms are improving.
If the result is positive you will be contacted by TBDHU.
If your symptoms are not improving, follow up with your health care provider. If your symptoms worsen, call your local assessment centre.
Visit the Self-Isolation page for details specific to various self-isolation scenarios, including what you can and cannot do during self-isolation, what to do if your symptoms worsen, what your close contacts should do, and when you can come out of self-isolation.
Contact Tracing
Case management and contact tracing is a core competency of public health. This includes identifying close contacts for every positive COVID-19 case in the Thunder Bay District. The identification and management of these close contacts is one of the tools public health uses to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit also completes case and contact management for other infectious diseases, such as sexually transmitted infections (e.g. chlamydia and gonorrhea), blood borne viruses, like HIV and Hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.
With regards to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the TBDHU area, individuals who have not been contacted by public health would not be considered a close contact of confirmed cases.
Household/ social circle contacts are generally the highest risk group with most exposure;
Community contacts are sorted out based on whether the case had symptoms at the time of their exposure and what the length of time together was. The community contacts could be people in close contact during flights, close contact in personal care, or other people the person had interacted with closely for a significant amount of time.
Other individuals who had similar close physical contact including face-to-face contact within 2 metres AND for more than 15 minutes could be considered close contacts.
A public health nurse will contact any individual that is found to be a “close contact” of a person with COVID-19 and will provide further instructions.
If the health unit needs to contact you due to possible risk of exposure to COVID-19, the process to contact is first by phone. If unreachable by phone, you may receive a:
home visit;
letter by mail;
social media direct message;
text requesting to call the health unit.
There have been reports of recorded messages, texts and/or emails going around suggesting the recipient has been exposed to COVID-19 and to click a link. This is a scam - TBDHU will never ask you to click a link or use a recorded message to contact you. Beware of people trying to take advantage during these tough times.
If you use the COVID Alert mobile app, you may get a notification if you may have been exposed to COVID-19 by someone else who also uses COVID Alert.
You can download the COVID Alert mobile app to get a phone alert if you may have been exposed to COVID-19, and let others know if you test positive without sharing any personal information.
With the free COVID Alert app, you can:
get a notification if you may have been exposed to COVID-19
get advice on what to do next tell nearby app users if you test positive for COVID-19, without sharing any personal information
COVID Alert will not:
collect, store or access any personal data, or health information
tell you if you’re currently near someone who’s tested positive
tell you about outbreaks in your city or neighbourhood
COVID Alert is completely voluntary. You choose to download, use or delete it. The more people who use it, the more effective it will be in helping to protect each other and our communities.
