Waits of 3+ hours reported at some COVID-19 testing centres in Metro Vancouver

Vancouver -

Staff at COVID-19 testing centres in B.C.'s Lower Mainland are struggling to keep up with an influx of patients in the days before Christmas, leading to lineups of more than three hours at some locations.

Massive lines of vehicles stretching for several blocks have been reported for days at the St. Vincent Collection Centre in Vancouver's South Cambie Neighbourhood, as many people seek to get tested ahead of planned get-togethers with family or friends.

That location had an estimated wait of three hours and 22 minutes as of early Monday morning, according to an online tracker for testing centres in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Similar wait times were reported at the North Vancouver COVID-19 Collection Centre near Capilano Mall.

Vancouver Coastal Health told CTV News it's aware of some longer-than-usual wait times, and that the health authority is "exploring ways to make the testing process as efficient as possible, without compromising patient safety and service quality."

"Those who do not have symptoms are strongly advised not to access testing services to allow frontline providers to prioritize care to those who are most likely to be infected," VCH said in an email statement.

Officials also announced Monday afternoon that the COVID-19 testing site near Vancouver International Airport, which is the only location available in Richmond, has been temporarily closed. Test-seekers at that site have been re-directed to St. Vincent.

Fraser Health does not publish estimated wait times online, but confirmed there have been lineups at busier locations in the region.

"No one who has a confirmed appointment time is being turned away," the health authority said in an email. "Those who need a COVID-19 test but don't want to wait have the option of taking a saline gargle test home with them and then dropping it off at the site later."

Officials said they are working to add capacity at peak times, and stressed the importance of getting tested for anyone who develops even mild symptoms of COVID-19, despite the lines and waits.

Vancouver general practitioner and UBC clinical assistant professor Dr. Anna Wolak said the overwhelmed testing centres are having an impact on health-care workers seeking tests as well.

"Nobody can take three hours off to get tested," she said.

Getting more rapid tests into the hands of the public would alleviate some of the strain on testing centres, Wolak added.

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant of concern has prompted a new raft of COVID-19 measures in the province that took effect Monday morning. (LINK TO REGAN)

Quebec has gone even further, announcing that schools, bars and gyms will be closed down as of Tuesday as the province grapples with record-high COVID-19 case numbers.

Wolak said if B.C. wants to prevent the need for stricter measures locally, the province must increase testing capacity. (LINK TO NATIONAL)

"If B.C. wants to avoid that – and unfortunately, I don't know if we will – (then) we need to ramp up testing," she said.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson