You’ll soon be able to get tested for COVID-19 with help from an area Chamber of Commerce.
The Province, the Federal government, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce have launched a COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative for small and medium-sized businesses.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the initiative today.
It will provide free rapid antigen tests for employees of these businesses through participating local chambers and other organizations and will screen for asymptomatic cases in the workplace that might otherwise be missed.
“More screening and testing means safer workplaces and less community transmission and that will let us open our economy faster,” said Trudeau.
As of today (May 7th), the tests’ availability through Chambers in Muskoka and Simcoe is listed as ‘Coming soon’.
More than 760,000 rapid test kits have already shipped to 28 chambers and more than 50 others have expressed interest in taking part.
“Our government’s top priority is protecting the health and safety of all Ontarians. As we continue to vaccinate more Ontarians, testing remains a key component of Ontario’s pandemic response,” says Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By supporting the use of rapid antigen tests by more businesses, our government is helping to provide an additional layer of protection for workers and their families.”
Ontario has already begun delivering rapid testing kits through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program to workplaces for asymptomatic staff in key sectors such as manufacturing, warehousing, the supply chain, mining, construction, and food processing.
As of April 30th, about 7.6 million rapid antigen tests had been sent through the program to nearly 1,500 workplaces. This includes nearly 200 essential industry sites, most of them in hot spot areas.