TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford announced that asymptomatic people can get tested for COVID-19 on Sunday, as cases continued to mount in Ontario and officials criticized thousands of people crowding in a Toronto park.

The premier said mass testing is the province’s best defence against the virus, and said the only way for the province to reach testing capacity is for people to go to provincial assessment centres.

“If you are worried you have COVID-19, or that you’ve been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, even if you’re not showing symptoms, please go get a test,” Ford said during a televised speech on Sunday.

“You will not be turned away, you don’t need an appointment, just show up.”

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The messaging is a marked change from earlier Ministry of Health guidelines for the general public, which said that only people displaying one or more symptoms of the novel coronavirus should be tested.

City officials said thousands of people were at Trinity Bellwoods Park flouting physical distancing rules.

“I thought it was a rock concert in the beginning when I went out there, I was in shock,” said Ford.

“I get it, its a beautiful day out, everyone wants to get out and have a great time … but the images I saw, we just can’t have that right now, its just too many people too close.”

Toronto Mayor John Tory said more police officers and by-law officers were to be at the park Sunday to make sure the city’s message on physical distancing is known.

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