Where can I get a rapid test for COVID-19 in Ottawa?
If you live in Nova Scotia and want a COVID-19 rapid test, you can simply stroll down to your local public library to pick one up for free.
New Brunswick and Saskatchewan also offer free rapid testing kits free to the public. In Quebec, each resident will soon have access to five free tests every 30 days.
In Ontario, it’s a different story. Free rapid antigen test kits are available to businesses, and the province is sending schoolchildren home this holiday season with five tests each.
But most residents need to pay out of pocket to receive a rapid antigen test. Despite the province receiving 33 million rapid tests from the federal government to date, many of them remain unused.
The federal government says it has distributed 86 million rapid tests to the provinces so far, and plans to send 35 million more this month.
Many advocates have long been calling for more widespread distribution and use of the tests. Those calls are gaining urgency with the holidays approaching and the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surging.
Twitter accounts such as COVID-19 Test Finders share information on where and how to find rapid tests. With families planning holiday gatherings, experts say the tests can be one tool to help ensure people are gathering safely.
The test is not as accurate as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, considered the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. Rapid tests can be between 50 and 95 per cent accurate, depending on a number of factors. But the results come back in as little as 15 minutes.
There are three main ways to obtain rapid tests in Ottawa: get tested at a pharmacy, buy at-home testing kits online, or attend one of the limited holiday pop-up locations.
Buy tests online
If you’re looking to buy your own rapid tests online, price points vary.
The Canadian Shield sells five packs of tests for $49.95. The company’s 25-packs retail for $224.49, but they are sold out due to “extreme demand.” They will be available to buy after Dec. 26.
Abbott Panbio rapid tests are $218.75 for a 25-pack online.
Rapid Test & Trace is selling several kinds of rapid tests at various price points, ranging from $9 to $17 a test in various quantities.
Experts say it’s important to follow the instructions of the at-home tests closely. If you test positive, it should be considered a presumptive result. You’ll then need to go get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm that you have COVID-19.
Pharmacy testing
Shoppers Drug Mart offers rapid tests on site for $40 each, conducted by a pharmacist. You will need to book an appointment online.
Rexall offers the same service for $30, as does Walmart for $20. Appointments can be difficult to find as demand increases. The tests aren’t available to people who have symptoms of COVID-19.
Some Costco pharmacies in Ontario are doing rapid tests onsite, including the Barrhaven and Merivale Road locations in Ottawa.
Holiday pop-ups
The Ontario government launched a "holiday testing blitz", with up to two million rapid tests being provided for free at pop-up testing sites in high-traffic settings and at select LCBO stores.
The LCBO received test kits on Friday and quickly handed out its entire supply.
Government officials tell CTV News Ottawa there are 10 locations in Ottawa pending local approval, including at malls and city centres.
One of them that has been approved is the Minto Barrhaven Recreation Centre at 3500 Cambrian Rd.
The tests will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.