What the requisition was for
This form ordered COVID-19 and respiratory virus testing at Public Health Ontario’s laboratory. It asked for the ordering clinician, patient, travel and exposure history, tests requested, specimen type, patient setting, vaccination status and clinical information. LifeLabs still links it from its requisitions page, but PHO no longer accepts it.
What replaced it
Effective January 5, 2026, PHO requires its General Test Requisition for all respiratory virus testing, including COVID-19, and rejects specimens sent with this form. The requirements carried over: symptoms and the date of symptom onset must be clearly documented, and specimens from asymptomatic patients or without appropriate clinical information aren’t tested.
Who completes the replacement
The ordering clinician completes the General Test Requisition. The patient doesn’t complete any part.
What PHO needs on the General Test Requisition
PHO asks for all fields to be completed, including the test requested and the indication for testing, clinical information with the symptom onset date, any medical condition that raises the risk of severe illness, the patient setting such as inpatient, ICU or congregate living, the specimen type and collection date, and an outbreak number if there is one. If the patient qualifies for publicly funded testing under Ministry of Health guidance, say so on the requisition.
Label the specimen container with the patient’s first and last name, the collection date, and one other unique identifier, such as date of birth or health card number. Send one swab per transport tube.
Common reasons specimens are rejected
- Sent with the retired COVID-19 and Respiratory Virus Test Requisition.
- No symptoms or symptom onset date documented.
- The patient was asymptomatic.
- Container labelled without a second identifier.
- More than one swab in a single transport tube.
Submitting and who pays
Specimens go to a PHO laboratory with the General Test Requisition. When the patient is eligible for publicly funded testing under Ministry of Health guidance, PHO requires you to indicate it on the requisition.