St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre now offers alternative specimen collection methods for children. The less invasive, Oral & Deep Nares specimen collection, will be offered to those attending the St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre. Learn more about Oral & Deep Nares specimen collection method here.
To begin booking an appointment online, please click the blue button on the HamiltonCovidTest.ca home page (of this site) and answer the screening questions. These screening questions will determine if you are eligible for a COVID-19 test based on current provincial guidelines. If you are eligible for testing, you will be provided the option of available appointments to book a COVID-19 test.
Follow the instructions to book an appointment online for your COVID-19 test, and provide your email address if you would like to receive a confirmation email. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, call 289-778-1465 for the COVID Support Service Centre operated by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Appointments are spread out evenly to promote physical distancing and allow for proper cleaning protocols.
A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided when you book your appointment.
Please ensure that you check your ‘Junk’ folder in your email account for the confirmation email. Additionally, please confirm that the following email account has been added to your ‘Safe Senders’ list: donotreply@mydovetale.ca.
A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided when you book your appointment. Within this confirmation email there is a link that you can select to complete the cancellation of your appointment as needed.
Please ensure that you check your ‘Junk’ folder in your email account for the confirmation email. Additionally, please confirm that the following email account has been added to your ‘Safe Senders’ list: donotreply@mydovetale.ca.
Additionally, if you have a MyDovetale account, you can log into your account, select your COVID-19 Testing appointment, and select the ‘Cancel appointment’ option. You can only cancel an appointment up to 48 hours in advance of the scheduled appointment time.
Anyone 12 years of age and up can book an appointment online. You can help someone book an appointment online on their behalf with their consent. Parents/legal guardians must book appointments for children under 12 years of age. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, call 289-778-1465 for the COVID Support Service Centre operated by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
People booking an appointment online will be asked to provide personal health information including your name, birth date, address, phone number and other demographic information. The personal health information provided is securely stored and accessed by authorized individuals to provide care and manage the program.
We thank you for your patience and understanding while trying to book your appointment. Demand for appointments at COVID-19 testing centres in Hamilton is high and we are sorry if there are no appointments available to book online. Appointments are required to ensure public and staff safety at testing and assessment centres and to ensure people with COVID-19 symptoms are tested as soon as possible. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, call 289-778-1465 for the COVID Support Service Centre operated by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. We encourage you to share more information about your concern by filling out an online form here.
Yes you can use a smartphone, tablet or computer with an internet connection to book an appointment online for a COVID-19 test.
Visit the Hamilton Public Health Services website to view the list of testing centres, including their hours of operations.
If you wish to cancel your COVID-19 test appointment online, please complete this form.
Yes, parents/legal guardians can book an appointment online for a child to receive a COVID-19 test. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied to their appointment by a parent/legal guardian.
Each person requires their own separate appointment time. Only one COVID-19 test can be taken during a single appointment time slot. If you are booking for more than one person who requires COVID-19 testing (for example, family members from a household), please book an appointment for each person, in separate time slots.
For families, or parents/legal guardians requiring attending appointments together, please book appointments on the same day and staff at the testing site will do their best to accommodate your family. Please see below under 'Technical support' if you need to book for a family greater than 8. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, call 289-778-1465 for the COVID Support Service Centre operated by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Children under three (3) months of age requiring a COVID test must go to the Emergency Department at McMaster Children's Hospital to be assessed and be tested. The Emergency Department at McMaster Children's Hospital is open 24 hours a day and located at 1200 Main St. West, Hamilton. Please do not book a COVID test online for a child under three (3) months of age.
Please call your healthcare provider if you have questions about testing a child under three (3) months of age for COVID-19.
I’m having surgery/a procedure soon and require a COVID-19 test as advised by my health team – what should I do?
If you are having surgery/a procedure at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton or Hamilton Health Sciences you may need a COVID-19 test before your surgery/procedure. Depending on the type of surgery/procedure you are having, you will be contacted by either the pre-operative clinic, your physician’s office or your surgery’s clinic if you are required to have a COVID-19 test.
If you’re having surgery at a different health-care facility – not at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton or Hamilton Health Sciences - and require a COVID-19 test as directed by your care team, you must book your appointment by phone. Please call 289-778-1465 for the COVID Support Service Centre operated by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
The COVID Support Service Centre does not book COVID-19 vaccine appointments. This website is only to book an appointment for a COVID-19 test. Click here for more information getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Hamilton.
On December 30, 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced new eligibility criteria for COVID-19 PCR tests to prioritize those who are at highest risk. Other priority groups, including household members of workers in highest risk settings, and patient-facing health care workers, are now prioritized. Please visit the Ontario Government website to view the current eligibility criteria.
When you book an appointment online you will be asked to complete screening questions to determine if you are eligible for a COVID-19 test based on current provincial guidelines, which recommend that low risk, asymptomatic individuals should not be considered for testing. If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 test, please continue to follow public health guidance to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread in our community.
St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre is only permitted to test those who fall within the Ontario provincial guidelines. The screening questions you are required to answer when you book an appointment are to determine if you are eligible for a COVID-19 test based on current provincial guidelines. If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 test, please continue to follow public health guidance to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread in our community.
No, as of Dec. 11, 2020, individuals requiring a COVID-19 test for international travel are no longer eligible for a publicly funded COVID-19 test in Ontario. There are private COVID-19 test options available for a cost in Hamilton at Hauser’s Pharmacy and Shopper’s Drug Mart on Rymal Road. For more information about COVID-19 and travel restrictions visit the Hamilton Public Health page.
Please note that St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre does not provide documentation required for private asymptomatic testing, including for travel purposes. The mydovetale test result print out may be insufficient for travel purposes or unacceptable proof of a negative COVID test by an airline or vacation destination.
No. Individuals who require a ‘Day 8-test’ as part of their mandatory quarantine after arriving from an international airline trip are not eligible for COVID-19 testing at a Hamilton assessment or testing centre. These individuals must follow the Government of Canada travel rules and guidelines for airport arrival testing and quarantine.
The Testing Centre does not provide any swabs or testing required for travel or to attend/participate/gain entry to public events (i.e. sporting events, concerts, etc.). Please go to a pharmacy or lab offering asymptomatic testing.
Proof of full vaccination expedites entry to public events. Click here to make a vaccination appointment or to learn more.
Please note that St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre does not provide documentation required for private asymptomatic testing, including for travel purposes. The MyDovetale test result print out may be insufficient for travel purposes or unacceptable proof of a negative COVID test by an airline or vacation destination.
Yes, all appointments booked will be honoured but we will no longer be booking appointments for
Please arrive on time for your COVID-19 test appointment. Please do not arrive early for your COVID-19 test appointment. Appointments are spread out evenly to promote physical distancing and allow for proper cleaning protocols.
No one will be charged for a COVID-19 test in Hamilton.
Visit Hamilton Public Health Services to learn how to access your COVID-19 test results.
For more information from Hamilton Public Health Services about COVID-19, click here.
Please visit the Hamilton Public Health Services website under Exposed to COVID for instructions on what to do if:
Please visit the Hamilton Public Health Services website under Have symptoms of COVID-19 for instructions.
For more information from Hamilton Public Health Services about COVID-19, click here.
Ensure your internet browser can access the booking tool by:
When entering in your date of birth, please entering it in as follows:
dd/mm/yyyy (including the slashes)
A confirmation email should have been sent to the email address you provided upon scheduling in the appointment was successfully booked.
Please ensure that you check your ‘Junk’ folder in your email account for the confirmation email. Additionally, please confirm that the following email account has been added to your ‘Safe Senders’ list: donotreply@mydovetale.ca.
A person can book up to and including 8 appointments for 8 different people per browser session. In order to create a new browser session, you can:
Some patients who have COVID-19 and are at highest risk of severe outcomes may be eligible for COVID-19 treatment. Outpatient COVID-19 therapies may help reduce the risk of progressing from mild or moderate COVID-19 to severe infection that require hospitalization for high-risk individuals.
To be considered for outpatient COVID-19 therapy, high risk individuals must book an appointment to be tested for COVID-19 when experiencing one or more mild symptom of COVID. Learn more about COVID-10 antiviral treatment from the Government of Ontario.
For help with appointments at St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre please call the COVID Support Service Centre at 289-778-1465.
The St. Joe's Mountain COVID-19 Testing and St. Joe’s West 5th COVID-19 Testing Centre in the Hamilton region are a partnership between Hamilton Public Health Services, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton Paramedic Service, McMaster Family Health Team, Hamilton Family Health Team, Hamilton Family Medicine (HFAM) and Good Shepherd Centres.
As always, regardless of need for a potential COVID-19 test, if someone is very ill and in need of immediate care, they should go to the nearest Urgent Care Centre, Emergency Department, or call 911.