KITCHENER -- Appointment-only COVID-19 testing started this week across the province, including at all four assessment centres in Waterloo Region.

Three of the region's sites were already operating by appointments. The fourth, on Bathurst Drive and run by St. Mary's General Hospital, discontinued their walk-in appointments on Sunday.

That site had been offering a hybrid model of both walk-in and appointment testing. Staff were able to administer 180 tests on the final day that they used that model. On Sunday, the number of tests done dropped to 80.

Officials said that, as of late Monday morning, there were still appointments available for Tuesday.

At the Grand River Hospital drive-thru centre, the first-come, first-serve model was cancelled more than a week ago, as well. Testing numbers went from an average of 550 people per day to an average of about 389 because of no-shows or cancellations.

By noon Monday there was an available appointment on Wednesday morning, but because of high call volumes, that was expected to be filled quickly.

The testing site at a Waterloo plaza, known as the KW4 COVID Assessment Centre, has always been by appointment only. The owner of that clinic said they were booked solid for almost a week and a half.

Over at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital COVID-19 testing site, officials on Monday were booking appointments for the following day. An official there said that the 180 patients that they see daily usually book by 11 a.m. or noon.

Here's what you need to know about each site:

Cambridge-North Dumfries Community Assessment and Testing Centre at Cambridge Memorial Hospital

  • 700 Coronation Blvd., Cambridge
  • Book an appointment by leaving a message at 519-740-4975, or emailing cmhcovidtesting@cmh.org

Grand River Hospital COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing Centre

  • 137 Glasgow St., Kitchener
  • Book an appointment online through the hospital's website. Registration opens at 7 a.m.

St. Mary's General Hospital COVID-19 Testing Centre

  • 1-50 Bathurst Dr., Waterloo
  • Book an appointment at 519-885-9517

Kitchener-Waterloo-Wilmot-Wellesley-Woolwich (KW4) Community Assessment Centre