Rapid tests difficult to come by in Halifax-Dartmouth area

Finding COVID-19 rapid tests is proving to be a little more difficult these days in Halifax and Dartmouth.

Public libraries, where members of the public have been able to pick up free tests, are running out. CBC News called seven libraries in the Halifax and Dartmouth area on Wednesday evening and only one had tests available.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Lisa Barrett says tests are important because it can help people access treatment.

"If we don't have tests out there, I want people to voice that to the heath units, to their government people, because we need to make sure people have tests," Barrett said.

"And while there are lots of efforts going on to distribute the tests, unless the group that distributes hears that there's an unmet need, there won't be more tests sent out and we need to hear about that unmet need if people are lacking tests."

Libraries that have run out of tests are referring people to MLA offices. CBC News emailed MLAs in Halifax and Dartmouth Wednesday as well. The offices that responded said they're seeing higher demand.

"People are wanting tests, needing tests and are really concerned that they can't get them," said NDP health critic Susan Leblanc, who also represents Dartmouth North.

"I'm hearing from my NDP colleagues that tests are going very, very quickly."

Brendan Maguire, the MLA for Halifax Atlantic, said his office is one of the only places people in his area can go to get a test. The problem, he said, is that office hours for MLAs tend to be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — a time when a lot of people are at work.

"A lot of time is spent on evenings and on the weekends running around and driving these tests off to people," Maguire said. 

Maguire said his office is always asking Public Health for more tests.

"It's particularly troubling in areas where we have low-income folks that have transportation issues," he said.

"Outside of their MLAs office, they can't go downtown to a library or they can't go to medical facilities to find these.... I need to make sure that my office always has enough so that people aren't spending their days on three buses to try to go get rapid tests." 

MLA Ali Duale's office for Halifax-Armdale said they noticed more people started asking for rapid tests two to three weeks ago.