Long lineups for COVID-19 rapid tests in Ottawa suburbs, but not downtown
Hundreds of people lined up in the early morning cold in Kanata for COVID-19 rapid tests on Friday, but it was a different story at a downtown pick-up spot.
The Ontario government ran rapid test pickups at Hazeldean Mall in Kanata and the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa on Friday.
In Kanata, hundreds of people lined up outside the mall, then down the sidewalks on Eagleson and Hazeldean roads to get tests.
At the Rideau Centre, some people lined up early for the tests, which were handed out on the fourth floor. But soon there was no line at all with many tests still to be handed out.
Staff hand out rapid tests at the Rideau Centre on Friday. There was no lineup for much of the morning.
In a posting on Facebook, Hazeldean Mall said there will be a limited supply of kits available, "Currently that limit is 1,000."
Rapid antigen tests will be available at Hazeldean Mall and the Rideau Centre on Saturday, Jan. 8 for pick-up.
On Wednesday and Thursday, hundreds of people lined up before dawn at Bayshore Shopping Centre to pick up test kits. On Thursday, the line started forming at 3:30 a.m.
The rush to pick up rapid antigen tests comes as Ontario changes the rules for deploying the test kits as COVID-19 cases rise and testing capacity is limited.
The pop-up sites handing out free rapid antigen tests will run until Jan 14.
Under the new rules, the tests will no longer be recommended for "one-off" uses, including before social gatherings, due to the risk of false negatives.
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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Star witness returning to the stand for more testimony at Trump's at hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.