A Waterloo, Ont.-based company that specializes in manufacturing personal protective equipment says it will soon be offering “low-cost” rapid COVID-19 antigen test kits to the public.
The Canadian Shield will be offering five-packs of testing kits on its website at a cost of $49.95, which the company says is 40 per cent below the going online rate.
“With the rising number of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools and workplaces across the country, we recognized the need for more accessible and widespread testing,” Jeremy Hedges, The Canadian Shield CEO, stated.
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“Due to regulatory issues, everyday Canadians are paying some of the highest prices in the world for rapid testing – we strongly believe that we can play a role in making that no longer the case.”
The company says the kits will only be available to residents of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
The Canadian Shield says it expects wider availability “as provincial ministries issue interim orders and change the regulatory landscape.”
The PPE manufacturer notes that the Ontario government has made free rapid testing kits available to most businesses already.
“While these programs are important, they aren’t accessible to everyone and it’s important that other options are available to Canadians,” Hedges says.
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