OTTAWA -- An Ottawa company has developed a mobile COVID-19 testing booth it says increases safety and reduces the need for personal protective equipment.

Honey Group has developed “SMRT Booth”, a mobile testing solution for COVID-19 testing during the pandemic.

Honey Group says the “SMRT Booth” stands for:

  • Safe – the SMRT Booth ensures all health care providers and patients are safe during testing as there is no physical contact
  • Mobile – The SMRT Booth can be placed anywhere
  • Reduce PPE: Honey Group says the SMRT Booth reduces and almost eliminates the use of personal protective equipment
  • Testing Time: Honey group says the booth allows health care providers to test patients faster as they don’t have to change PPE in between patients.

Speaking on CTV Morning Live Friday morning, Honey Group vice-president of strategic partnership Brock Mosley said Honey Group was looking for a way to make testing easier.

“We wanted to build something that was safer – It’s safe, it’s mobile, it reduces PPE and it allows for faster testing time,” said Mosley.

“The booth itself acts as the PPE.”

Honey Group has teamed up with the Ottawa Hospital to hold a COVID-19 pop-up testing event on Saturday, July 11 at Ogilvie North Park on Cyrville Road. The clinic will be held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

It will be a “mobile pop-up test” to see how the “SMRT Booth” can handle working in the community. Mosley said the Ottawa Hospital has provided feedback for building the booth for safe testing.

Mosley said the outdoor booth is mobile, runs off a generator, and allows both health care workers and the patient to stay safe during the test.

“You can set it up anywhere you want to, in a parking lot, an old age home, out in the middle of the field if you wanted,” said Mosley.

“The key thing is safety. It allows for patients to stand outside at a safe distance, so they’re not in an enclosed area, they’re not breathing or coughing the same space, or touching things.”

Honey Group has partnered with Dunrobin Distilleries for hand sanitizer.