How is Ontario clearing its backlog of COVID-19 tests? Analyze more, authorize fewer tests.

According to provincial testing data, the number of daily samples taken in Ontario over the past five days has steadily declined. At the start of the week, 3,951 samples were taken in one day from people with symptoms. As of Saturday, only 2,040 samples were taken the previous day.

At the same time, Ontario has steadily been increasing the number of tests it runs each day. At the start of the week, Ontario was running 2,294 tests in a single day. By Saturday, that daily number had increased to 3,424 tests.

Provincial health officials on Saturday would not confirm that this is a strategy intended to curb what has been an embarrassing backlog of tests that grew to almost 11,000 earlier this week. Some of those samples were taken seven days earlier, meaning that the individuals would not have known during that time whether they had the virus.

By Saturday, the provincial backlog had been cut to 8,690 tests — representing people waiting in their homes to learn if they were positive or negative for the virus. Provincial officials announced Friday they hope to be able to analyze close to 20,000 samples a day by the third week in April.

The decline in daily samples taken is due to a change in policy Ontario and other provinces made a week ago. Tests are prioritized for the very sick people who are admitted to hospital and for health care, nursing home and other workers whose frontline jobs bring them into contact with large groups of people.

How this strategy was rolled out — with little public notification in the early days — proved confusing to people who were sent for testing.

One woman, a 28-year-old medical resident from Toronto, had been working and studying in New York City. She came home to be with her family on Sunday March 22. Stepping off the plane she was feeling ill. By night time she had a fever and soon developed a dry cough. Then her lungs became sore and she was tired and drowsy. The woman asked that her name not be used for personal privacy reasons.

The woman did the provincial online assessment and was directed to go to a COVID-19 assessment clinic at Michael Garron Hospital. Her appointment was Wednesday, March 25. The woman was given a mask before speaking to first one, then a second, nurse. The nurses were also wearing masks. When a doctor saw her he told her, she said, that she likely had the virus.

However, the doctor told her that he could not give her a test because they were reserving tests for people who are healthcare workers with upcoming shifts and hospitalized patients.

“I sit here all day and tell people I cannot test them,” the woman said the doctor told her.

The woman said the care she was given was excellent and she understands that the doctor was following guidelines. But she is concerned that by bringing people in for an assessment, more will get sick.

“To me it seemed like a breeding ground,” for the infection, she said.

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The woman was told to go home and self isolate. She lives with several family members and she said she is making sure to keep to herself so as not to infect siblings and parents. As of Saturday afternoon her fever was down and her cough getting better.

Meanwhile, the Star’s ongoing analysis of Ontario’s testing trends shows that with each test completed it is more likely that a test is positive. As of Saturday, 3.33 per cent of all completed tests were positive. That percentage has steadily grown. It was 1.77 per cent two weeks ago. Part of this increase can be explained by the people who are being selected for testing, though officials will not confirm this. A recent Star story revealed that due to the backlog, there are many confirmed cases that will soon be added to the official count.