Take a screening test

Please fill out the COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool before going to our facility. If a test is recommended :

Without an appointment

• Register online before going to the clinic
• You can visit one of our designated clinics (see opening hours)
• Consult the wait times for our designated clinics (longer waiting times at the beginning of the week)

To make an appointment (in participating clinics)

If your test is required for medical reason, an surgery or an exam, we recommend making an appointment. 

• Online form (available in French only) - call back between 8 AM and 4 PM (weekend and holidays) and between 8 AM and 6 PM (week days), 24 hours after the request
• By phone : 1-888-222-5075 
• CISSS des Laurentides employees : 1-866-963-2777 ext. 22683 (between 8AM and 4PM)
• Register online before going to the clinic

COVID-19 GARGLE TESTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

Gargle tests are now available to the public. These are done by testing saliva gathered by gargling. All the screening clinics in the Laurentians provide this service.

Exceptions apply to the following groups who cannot use this screening method:

• Healthcare workers presenting symptoms associated with COVID-19.
• Anyone without COVID-19-like symptoms whose condition might require intubation or a bronchoscopy within 48 hours.
• Anyone without COVID-19-like symptoms who is awaiting an organ transplant, as well as the donor.
• Children under the age of six.

Gargle tests are much less invasive and are an additional tool in our fight against COVID-19.

Practise before going to the clinic

We strongly recommend that you practise gargling at home before going to the clinic. You need a small glass and 5 mL of water. As you will be instructed during the screening test, you must gargle with water, keeping it in your mouth for 5 seconds, then in your throat with your head tilted back for 5 more seconds. This sequence must be repeated twice.

RAPID TESTS FOR BUSINESSES

To reduce the risk of outbreaks in workplaces, businesses can have free rapid tests for COVID-19 antigen detection for their staff located in Quebec. They can be requested from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS). With these tests on hand, they can initiate a screening protocol when the first employee shows symptoms of COVID-19. 

Find all the details here.

When should I get tested?

WHO SHOULD GET TESTED?

• Individuals experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms;
• Individuals who have been in close contact with an infected person.

TESTING STRATEGY AND PRIORITIZATION 

Testing is prioritized based on the highest probability of finding cases in order to quickly begin investigations and contact tracing and thereby control outbreaks.

To know if a test is required, click here. 

What to expect when being tested for COVID-19

When you arrive at the designated clinic, a security officer will validate your appointment and provide you with a mask that you will be required to wear until you leave. You will then be directed to the appropriate location and informed of the guidelines to follow.

When you are called to be tested, have your medical insurance card in hand. The nurse will ask you about your symptoms and will confirm your identity. Next, the nurse will perform the test by introducing a long-stemmed swab first into your throat, then into your nasal cavity to obtain a sample. It takes approximately 10 seconds to obtain an adequate sample. 

The entire process takes at most ten minutes if there is no waiting. 

You will be given your results within 24 to 72 hours. Negative results are transmitted by text or by phone. Positive result are always transmitted by phone to answer questions, give the guidelines to follow as well as start an investigation.