Ontario to provide free rapid COVID-19 tests until June 2023
Ontario will continue to provide free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for another six months amid a “triple threat” of respiratory illnesses this winter.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones made the announcement on Thursday, flanked by Premier Doug Ford, while also discussing a provincial investment that will pay for nursing tuition.
“This year's triple threat of influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 has placed extra demands on the health-care system across the country,” Jones said. “We continue to encourage all Ontarians to stay up to date with their vaccines, including getting your available booster dose and your flu shot.”
“We are also extending the very successful free rapid antigen test program in grocery stores and pharmacies across the province until June 30, 2023.”
The Ontario government has been distributing free rapid antigen tests to more than 2,000 locations since February 2022. The program was previously extended and was set to end on Dec. 31.
When the program was first announced, the province said that about 5.5 million tests would be distributed each week.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to the Ministry of Health to determine if this is still the case.
The province also announced Thursday it will be providing the Michener Institute with over $4.6 million to “remove financial barriers for nurses wanting to upskill to work in critical care areas of hospitals.”
The funding will be used to provide free tuition for students and to pay for college and hospital costs. The premier said they expect close to 600 nurses to have completed their upskilling education by spring 2023.
“That is 600 more nurses ready to care for our most vulnerable in ICUs across Ontario, including our pediatric ICUs,” Ford said.
“It's all hands on deck as we use every tool we have to get more nurses working in Ontario right now.”
The government is also investing more than $9.4 million to support accelerated critical care nursing at numerous universities and colleges.
Ontario’s hospitals, including those with pediatric units, have been struggling to manage an influx of patients dealing with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Patients have reported extraordinarily long wait times in emergency departments and some surgeries have been cancelled due to a lack of beds.
However, the Ontario government has been adamant there is not a nursing crisis in the province. Just a day earlier, Jones told reporters Ontario has “not seen a mass exodus of nurses” leaving the profession.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.