Compared to lab-processed polymerase chain reaction tests, rapid COVID-19 tests are less accurate and more prone to false positives. The rapid tests are said to be critical in the province’s most important workplaces and schools.
At least 1,150 workplaces have received approximately 4.7 million antigen tests from the provincial health ministry. According to the health ministry, it is unclear how many of those have been used.
The province has announced that it is now sending “up to” 300,000 rapid tests per week to screen asymptomatic employees in industries such as manufacturing, warehousing, and food processing. “The short answer is that it is now. As quickly as possible, “More rapid tests are needed, according to Dr. Kevin Schwartz, an infectious diseases physician. “We’re also delivering 385,000 tests per week to long-term care facilities and 118,000 per week to retirement homes,” says a spokesperson.
Rapid tests, according to experts, should be deployed as soon as possible to the locations where new infections are being caused. “This is the most significant challenge we face right now, whether in large warehouses or other facilities,” says an expert.
