Canada will miss COVID-19 cases as testing systems become overwhelmed: experts She says the recent surge in tests as the Omicron variant drives a spike in cases has laboratory professionals working more overtime and reporting burnout.The province’s top doctor said Tuesday that Ontario is preparing to change its approach to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing as the Omicron variant strains resources, with residents being warned they could face long waits for tests.Ottawa Public Health this week asked residents who have symptoms but can’t access a timely test to assume they are infected and self-isolate.Ontario reported 4,383 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, based on 55,381 tests that were processed by laboratories across the province..