According to sources, Ontario will distribute free COVID-19 rapid tests at grocery stores

Key Takeaways:

• According to sources, Ontario will distribute free COVID-19 rapid tests at grocery stores across the province.
• According to sources, the government intends to time the distribution of free tests with the next step of the reopening, scheduled for February 21.
• Ontario had 2,254 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and 274 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units on Tuesday (ICUs).

According to sources, Ontario will distribute free COVID-19 rapid tests at grocery stores across the province.

According to sources within the Ontario government, about five million rapid tests will be distributed each week.

They say each kit will contain five rapid tests, and there will be a limit of one kit per family visit.

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More information about the rapid tests’ implementation was not immediately available, but the government is expected to make an official announcement on Wednesday.

As per the sources, the govt aims to time the distribution of free tests with the next step of the reopening, which will take place on Feb. 21.

The statement comes the same day that the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Board Table released a video with instructions for administering the tests at home.

The Ontario govt declared major changes to its COVID-19 testing guidelines in late December.

According to the announcement, only high-risk individuals who are symptomatic and/or at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will be eligible for publicly funded PCR tests. According to the province, rapid tests will be prioritized for hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, and other high-risk settings.

Testing volumes in the province have decreased due to the new guidelines. According to provincial data, demand for tests peaked at more than 75,000 at the end of last year, with an average of 21,433 tests processed each day over the previous week.

To date, Ontario has received 80 million rapid tests, of which 75 million have been distributed across a range of sectors, such as health care, education, and retail.

On Tuesday, Ontario reported 2,254 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and 274 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs).

Source: CTV News

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