Upper levels of government are launching a new COVID-19 rapid screening pilot project in Waterloo Region which will offer tests for employees of small- and medium-sized businesses.
The province says the StaySafe program will aim to conduct 3,000 rapid antigen point-of-care tests in the area on a weekly basis.
“Rapid testing in the workplace will add an additional layer of protection for workers and their families,” Heath Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement.
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“We continue to work closely with our health-care and industry partners to expand the use of rapid tests.”
The province says the testing will discover COVID-19 cases that might have been otherwise gone undiscovered.
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It also says the tests will be more efficient, faster and reduce administrative costs.
“We’ve known from the beginning that rapid screening was a vital tool in the fight against COVID-19,” Cambridge Chamber of Commerce president Greg Durocher stated.
“We are so pleased to play a major role in getting rapid screening to small- and medium-sized businesses, along with our regional partners.”
The province says 5.7 million rapid antigen tests have been sent to over 1,150 workplaces across Ontario, including 100 essential industry sites, under the Provincial Antigen Screening Program.
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