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
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.