Parents want more access to rapid testing in schools
Some parents are calling for rapid tests to be made readily available, and free to kids, to help avoid outbreaks in Ottawa's schools.
Stephen MacDonald has two kids in school, but that's not where they are this week.
“There have been a number of cohorts that are closed,” says MacDonald. “So two of my kids have had, on a rotating basis over the last few weeks, they’ve been home. Identified as high-risk contacts.”
His school, along with 17 others in the capital are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. Many are wondering why rapid tests are not flooding the school system.
"I’m left wondering why we don’t have it and why we don’t have access to it when so many other places are using this," says MacDonald. "They only just started vaccinating kids now, 5 to 11 now. And children under five aren’t vaccinated. And so if this is the unvaccinated segment of society, why is this tool not being applied and used for them. Why is it being reserved and handed out elsewhere."
NDP leader Andrea Horwath wants to see more access to the rapid tests.
"We can make the holidays safer for folks by providing rapid tests," says Horwath. "They are a tool that should be being used freely, and made available everywhere so anyone can get one whenever and whenever they need it."
The Ontario government insists they’ve used millions of rapid tests, but other provinces seem to have a more aggressive testing strategy. In Ontario, pharmacies charge $40 per test.
"These tests have been deployed across the province," says Health Minister Christine Elliot. "They’re not sitting in a warehouse. They are being used. They are available to people who need to receive them in assessment centres and pharmacies. In primary care. In work places. In congregate settings. Wherever they need them."
Premier Doug Ford says millions of tests are on the way to Ontario schools.
"We’re also giving 11 million kits, five packs to students to bring home," says Ford. "And so they can get tested, their family can get tested. We’re giving out about a million tests every single week."
MacDonald wonders why he’s never seen or used a rapid test; but is looking forward to using them, to help keep his family safe.
"They’re supposed to hand out some for the holiday period," says MacDonald. "But the government really needs to be handing out a lot more to a lot more people so that people have this as a tool."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.