B.C. to provide at-home COVID-19 rapid tests, but not until January
Global News
Health Minister Adrian Dix is set to take questions from reporters on rapid testing and other issues at 4 p.m. PT.
As Ontario, Quebec and Alberta act on their plans to provide at-home rapid tests for COVID-19, British Columbia is not yet ready to offer the same layer of protection.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said most of B.C.’s rapid tests can’t be done at home because they require a nurse to administer.
There are around 700,000 tests available for home use, but Henry has said it would be challenging to break down the large packages of testing fluid into dozens of kits.
“It’s really challenging to break those down. It takes a lot of time. It takes people power from a lab that has been running full steam, from public health people that have been running full steam,” she said, adding B.C. hopes that single-dose bottles of the testing solution to arrive by the end of the month.
Health Minister Adrian Dix is set to take questions on rapid testing and other issues at 4 p.m. PT.
In Nova Scotia, volunteers helped to break apart kits and distribute the testing fluid, allowing the province to distribute kits of five tests to the public.
Infectious diseases physician and medical micro-biologist Dr. Victor Leung has said B.C. should solicit volunteers as well.
“The ability to take an original kit of 25 kits and can then be broken up for distribution for the public — this is not difficult. In British Columbia, we have split tests before,” Leung said.
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