Premier Doug Ford defends approach to distributing rapid tests as Omicron spreads
Premier Doug Ford has defended Ontario's approach to distributing COVID-19 rapid tests in the midst of growing calls to make them more widely available as cases rise and the new Omicron variant spreads.
"There's no one that's handing out more tests than we are. Matter of fact, we're doing 57 per cent of all rapid tests in the entire country. So we're handing out more tests than every province and territory combined," Ford said at an announcement in Peterborough on Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for the province's health minister said Ontario currently has 5.75 million rapid antigen tests in its inventory, and as of Nov. 29, 33.35 million had been handed out.
By comparison, British Columbia has received 3.2 million tests and deployed 1.17 million and in Quebec, 11.7 million tests have been received and 5.71 milion have been given out, according to federal data.
"We're giving out about a million tests every single week," Ford said. "Those are staggering numbers."
However, opposition leaders and health experts say the province’s approach to distributing rapid tests does not push far enough.
"We should be making rapid tests free right now, and handing out as many as we possibly can," said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
"This is part of the action plan Ontario needs to prevent another COVID wave. Let people take a rapid test before visiting with loved ones. Encourage people take a rapid test at the first signs of a cold."
At the moment, rapid tests are offered to businesses for free and at select pharmacies. People who have come into contact with a positive COVID-19 case can also get access to a test.
At some schools where COVID-19 rates are high, students who are symptomatic or considered a close contact have access to rapid tests. The government said it’s planning to hand out five rapid tests to each student in the province ahead of December break.
"It makes sense from a scientific perspective to use rapid tests more frequently, for example, schools, in workplaces, in congregate settings, and to make rapid tests more available in this province," Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, told CP24 on Tuesday.
The group of science experts is set to release new recommendations on rapid testing on Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.