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Scott Moe says despite Health Canada stats, Saskatchewan leads the way in rapid test deployment

File photo. COVID-19 testing. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Lars Hagberg

As Saskatchewan families embrace for another COVID Christmas, there is increasing pressure for provincial governments to make rapid tests more accessible.

According to new numbers from Health Canada, Saskatchewan has received over 9.5 million rapid tests, with only five per cent (522,983) of them being used.

Saskatchewan Health says they only received 8.9 million tests, and 81 per cent of them have been sent to distribution sites across the province.

When asked Thursday about rapid tests, Premier Scott Moe said his government has been very ambitious in sending out the tests they’ve received to places that most needed them.

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“Saskatchewan’s really leading on this initiative on ensuring that these self-rapid tests are available to the people of the province,” said Moe. “And I think they’re proving to be quite effective.”

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Sask Health adds it’s impossible to know how many of the rapid tests have actually been used once they’ve been distributed.

Health Canada numbers show millions of rapid tests have gone unused. Global News
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