Access to rapid COVID-19 tests opened up in Sask.
Rapid COVID-19 tests can now be used by businesses and individuals in Saskatchewan to screen for COVID-19.
The Government of Saskatchewan announced amendments to The Medical Laboratory Licensing Regulations, 1995, allowing residents to use rapid antigen tests without a formal agreement with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
While rapid antigen tests are not a diagnostic test, they can be used to screen asymptomatic people for COVID-19. Saskatchewan health officials recommend anyone that receives a positive test result from a rapid test should isolate and call 811 to schedule a PCR test.
The province anticipates around 30 per cent of businesses will show interest in employing rapid testing. So far, 181 businesses have shown interest, and 67 are already receiving supplies for the delivery of the tests.
“There’s a lot of fear around testing and we want to dispel some of the myths that this is a way to get your business shut down,” Carrie Dornstauder, acting Test to Protect chief for the SHA’s emergency command centre, said. “This is a way to find cases as early as possible, reduce the impact to your business and really keep your workforce strong.”
Workplaces have been the main source of outbreaks in the province during the third wave.
Since May 1, 50 per cent (57 of 113) of outbreaks listed on the Government’s website are listed were in workplaces.
Opposition Health Critic Vicki Mowat says making these tests more widely available is the right move, but it should have happened sooner.
"Government's been sitting on this stockpile of rapid tests since December," she said.
Mowat added the Government has all its focus on the vaccine rollout and needs to continue controlling the virus.
"Vaccines are one way of combating the virus, but we also at the same time need to be controlling spread," she said. "In order to do that, we have to use rapid testing, we need to make sure that our testing and contact tracing are up to speed, so that we can control the virus when it does present itself in community."
Large national businesses that operate in Saskatchewan can request rapid tests through the federal government’s website.
Small and medium enterprises within Saskatchewan can apply for tests through the SHA.
Tests will also be available for the general public from select retailers who offer them. The government recommends checking the Health Canada website to ensure the tests are approved for use.
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.
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.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'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.
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.
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.
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.