COVID-19 test results back online after N.L. cyberattack

Newfoundland and Labrador's online portal for COVID-19 test results is back up and running after the cyberattack on the province's health systems, according to the Department of Health.

The department tweeted Sunday morning that the portal was back online.

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the department said the portal was slowly brought back online late Saturday night.

However, the health department said people should still follow the advice on isolation requirements from public health if applicable.

The test results portal had been out of commission since the cyberattack first began disrupting health-care services on Oct. 30. Many appointments, tests and surgeries were cancelled and services were pushed back decades, shifting to a paper-based system.

Many of the other affected health services set to pick back up on Monday.

Blood collection and medical imaging services will be resuming in all four regional health authorities, as the required IT systems are now functional. 

Patients in the Eastern and Central Health regions are advised to attend their scheduled appointments on Monday, unless they're contacted to reschedule.

Laboratory services — including blood work — will resume at Central Health facilities Monday. Surgeries, endoscopies and outpatient services at the James Paton Memorial Hospital and the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre will also resume Monday.

Western Health has also resumed many services, including medical imaging and blood collection.

Elective surgeries, colonoscopies, endoscopies, interventional pain, outpatient EKG and pulmonary function tests will not go ahead. The health authority said it will contact individuals whose appointments are proceeding.

Labrador-Grenfell Health has said all services in the region will resume Monday.

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