Will Ontario pharmacies be ready for COVID-19 testing Friday? We asked each one - CTV Toronto

TORONTO -- The Ontario government announced this week that 53 pharmacies across the province will be ready for COVID-19 testing starting on Friday.

Ontarians who have no COVID-19 symptoms will be able to get a free COVID-19 test at participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and independent pharmacy locations. All COVID-19 tests completed in pharmacies are by appointment only.

But will each location be ready to test Friday?

While the majority of pharmacies told CTV News Toronto that testing will be available on Friday, some said they are unable to meet the deadline. Many of the locations accepting people for tests also told CTV News Toronto they are already fully booked. 

Thirty-seven of the 53 pharmacies told CTV News Toronto they are ready for testing on Friday. The rest either said they were not ready, were still unsure or were unreachable. 

Premier Doug Ford said the testing initiative in pharmacies will reduce pressure on the province's 147 assessment centres, some of which have seen long line-ups in recent weeks.

The government said further locations will be added to the list in the coming weeks.

Here’s what each pharmacy told CTV News Toronto.

Toronto

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1601 Bayview Avenue – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1630 Danforth Avenue – Couldn't confirm if they will be ready until tomorrow.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1027 Yonge Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 3446 Dundas Street West – Not ready due to a lack of equipment and supplies. No date for testing has been set yet.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1400 Dupont Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 360A Bloor Street West – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 123 Rexdale Boulevard – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 900 Albion Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 4841 Yonge Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 5095 Yonge Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 3874 Bathurst Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 2550 Finch Avenue West – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 2751 Eglinton Avenue East – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 629 Markham Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 2301 Kingston Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, Unit A-1780 Markham Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Medicine Shoppe, 2600 Eglinton Avenue West – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Village Square Pharmacy, 2942 Finch Avenue East – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Rexall, 4459 Kingston Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Rexall, 250 Wincott Drive – Phone calls were not answered. It is unclear if this location is ready for testing on Friday.
• Rexall, 901 Eglinton Avenue West – Yes, will be ready Friday.

Brampton

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 160 Main Street South – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 10665 Bramalea Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 34A Avondale Boulevard – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 366 Main Street North – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 10048 McLaughlin Road – A customer service representative at the store was unable to confirm if they will be ready for Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1 Kennedy Road South - Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 3938 Cottrelle Boulevard - Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 11965 Hurontario Street – A customer service representative at the store was unable to confirm if they will be ready for Friday.
• Rexall, Unit A01-545 Steeles Avenue West- Yes, will be ready Friday.

Mississauga

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 6975 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle- Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 101-5602 Tenth Line West – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1-5425 Creditview Road - Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 7070 McLaughlin Road – The store said they should be ready for Friday. They are just waiting for final supplies.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 579 Lakeshore Road East – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 3980 Grand Park Drive - Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 2470 Hurontario Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 700 Burnhamthrope Road East – Phone calls were not answered. It is unclear if this location is ready for testing on Friday. 

Markham

• Rexall, 90 Copper Creek Drive – Yes, will be ready Friday.

Ottawa

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1180 Walkley Road – Location was unable to say if they'll be ready for testing on Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 647 Earl Armstrong Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 455 Bank Street – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 541 Montreal Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 3940 Innes Road – Phone calls were not answered. It is unclear if this location is ready for testing on Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 2954 St. Joseph Boulevard – This location will start accepting appointments on Friday, but will only begin testing on Saturday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1937 Portobello Boulevard – It is still unclear if they will be ready for Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1-2148 Carling Avenue – Phone calls were not answered. It is unclear if this location is ready for testing on Friday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1309 Carling Avenue – This location will not be ready for testing until Monday.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1102 Klondike Road – Yes, will be ready Friday.
• Cedarview Pharmacy, 12-4100 Strandherd Drive – This location is not ready for testing. No date could be provided as to when they will be ready.
• Medicine Shoppe, 19-5303 Canotek Road – This location will not be ready for testing until Saturday.
• Rexall, 1615 Orleans Boulevard – Yes, will be ready Friday.

Huntsville

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 51 King William Street – Testing at this location will not begin until Monday. 

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2020-09-24 17:53:00Z
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