Numbers dwindle at Montreal's COVID-19 testing sites

No lineups at testing sites There is no wait time at Montreal’s biggest outdoor COVID-19 testing clinic while the one in Cote-St-Luc is changing how it gives out result

MONTREAL — While Montrealers lined up around the block at the city's largest COVID-19 testing clinic when it opened on March 23, Place des Festivals was line-free on Monday.

While day one saw over 2,000 people get tested, numbers have steadily declined, with just 719 tests taken on Sunday.

Another clinic, at the Cavendish Mall in Cote-St-Luc, numbers have also steadily declined, from 359 to 108 per week.

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The dwindling number coincides with how tests are done – rather than a simple positive or negative, visitors to the Cavendish clinic now go through a full medical assessment at the nearby CLSC.

“They're going to the next level,” said Cote-St-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “Not just finding out if you're positive but doing medical consultations to advise individuals who are positive what they need to do.”

Another assessment site is opening at the Jewish General Hospital.

On Monday, Premier Francois Legault said the province has ordered 200,000 tests that give a result within an hour, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

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