Hundreds line up for COVID rapid tests in Ottawa as Ontario changes testing strategy
Long early-morning lineups for COVID-19 rapid tests will soon be a thing of the past as the province shifts the strategy for distributing the test kits.
Ontario announced new rules for accessing the rapid antigen tests on Thursday afternoon as COVID-19 cases rise across the province, and the tests will no longer be recommended for "one-off" uses, including before social gatherings.
"We are prioritizing the rapid antigen test for highest risk settings. We are working to provide these tests for the most effective use to support safe school opening," said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.
The pop-up sites at malls, community centres and transit centres across Ontario will end on Jan. 14.
Ontario announced the rapid antigen tests for the most vulnerable sectors will now be recommended for three purposes:
- Test-to-work purposes to meet critical workforce needs in the highest risk settings
- For people without symptoms as screening, including health care workers
- For people with COVID-19 symptoms. If two consecutive RATs, separated by 24-48 hours, are both negative, the symptomatic individual is less likely to be infected
"Ontario's supply of rapid antigen tests remains limited at present given the global demand for these tests and are being prioritized at present for health care and high-risk settings," said Moore.
For the second straight morning on Thursday, hundreds of people lined up at Bayshore Shopping Centre for testing kits. Some arrived as early as 3:30 a.m.
“It seems to me that they could be dropping them off in homes and mailing them to people, the way they did the U.K.” said Tom Denison, who got there at 4:15 a.m. “That would make a lot more sense. I still question as to why they haven’t gotten that together yet here.”
Amanda Stevenson, another person in line, said the line immediately grew behind
“It’s difficult. It’s cold, it’s winter, it’s dark, it’s snowing, so it’s a little bit rough,” she said. “It’s kind of frustrating, but you gotta do what you gotta do at this point.”
The long lineups have become the norm at the province-run pop-ups since before Christmas. Sometimes the tests have been handed out either earlier or later than initially scheduled, leaving many people frustrated and empty-handed.
Eastern Ontario medical officer of health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis says the tests will now be used to preserve critical workforces facing growing absentee rates because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
Roumeliotis said people who work in critical services, such as hospital and long-term care workers and first responders, need the tests most because they allow them to return to work earlier.
“I don’t think the non-risk individual who’s not working in essential services requires rapid antigen tests, so I don’t understand why people are lining up at 3 o’clock in the morning,” he said during an interview on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts.
“I think those are going to stop…and they will no longer be distributed to the general public like that. They’ll be distributed to where they’re most needed.”
The province's changes to the rapid test strategy came a day after the federal government said it will distribute 140 million rapid tests across the country this month -- four times the amount handed out in December. Of those 140 million tests, Ontario will receive 54.3 million.
Ontario has procured an additional 65 million tests in December and January.
There are two rapid test handouts scheduled in Ottawa on Friday: one at 9 a.m. at Hazeldean Mall and another at 10 a.m. at the Rideau Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.