New details on B.C.'s rapid test distribution plan for K-12 students and seniors

Starting this week, all kindergarten to Grade 12 students in B.C. will be offered a box of free rapid antigen tests to take home if they or their family members get symptoms of COVID-19.

“It’s one box with five tests in it per student per school. So, it’s not going to be one box per family, it will be one box per student at the school,” said Stephanie Higginson, the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association. That means parents with two kids will have access to 10 rapid tests.

Higginson says each school will decide how to distribute the test kits once they get their shipment from the province. Some may send them home with students, others may ask a parent to pick them up.

“I think it could be appropriate for schools to ask their (Parents’ Advisory Committees) to help out with distribution. I’m not sure, it’s going to look different in each school. So you have to wait for communication that it’s coming,” said Higginson, adding that rural and remote schools will get access to the testing kits first.

Students in urban schools may not get their test kit box until next week.

In many other provinces, students were sent home with rapid tests weeks or even months ago.

“It definitely is a long time coming, and it would have been very helpful earlier on in this pandemic as well,” said B.C. Teachers Federation president Teri Mooring.

“Rapid testing is something we have been calling for for a long time, so it’s good to have them now, at least. And I know families will make good use of them,” Mooring said.

She would also like to see more tests made available for teachers and support staff, who have been given two tests each.

After students, seniors are next in line to get free access to rapid test kits. Details on the plan to distribute them at community pharmacies will be announced at the province’s weekly COVID-19 news conference on Wednesday.

“We are going to be doing it first for those who are older, over 70, and then go down the age groups,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix, who expects that pharmacy distribution will begin at the end of this week or early next week.

B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie says this is a welcome relief for the group most vulnerable to COVID-19.

“To me, the greatest utility for these rapid rests for seniors is not to wake up each morning and test themselves and see if they have COVID. It is to test the people coming into their house, to make sure that person is not bringing the virus in,” Mackenzie said.

After students and seniors have their kits, as supplies allow, all British Columbians will be offered free access to at-home rapid antigen tests.