Plans announced for nearly 1M rapid tests that arrived in B.C. this week
As COVID-19 testing capabilities are hampered by the sheer number of potential Omicron infections in British Columbia, rapid tests are items in demand in the province.
But so far they've been hard to come by, prompting questions and criticism about how they're being used, as well as discrepancies in communication about where the tests promised by the federal government actually are.
At a news conference Tuesday, Health Minister Adrian Dix gave an update on the sought-after tests. Here's a quick look, by the numbers.
To date, B.C. has received 4,850,447 rapid tests. Of those, Dix said, 2,853,595 tests have been deployed to "key strategic areas."
That leaves a current inventory of 1,996,852 tests.
Another 561,772 tests in the current inventory are "not suitable for takeaway or personal use," the minister said.
"They require special equipment, administration by trained health-care professionals and cannot be broken down or repackaged for self-administration. These tests will continue to be used at the discretion of medical health officers in the appropriate settings to manage clusters and outbreaks."
So, according to Dix, there are 1,435,180 tests in the province that can be self-administered, and of those, 959,000 "just arrived yesterday," the minister said.
He said there are plans for some of them, including that 90,000 will be "immediately deployed to acute care facilities for testing of symptomatic health-care workers," and another 90,000 are being repackaged and sent to testing sites to replenish their supply.
Another 200,000 are earmarked for testing of symptomatic staff members at B.C.'s kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) schools.
On top of that, 100,000 will be used at businesses and organizations, he said.
"The balance will be repackaged and allocated over the week ahead, consistent with the plan that was outlined in detail on Dec. 21," Dix said.
And an additional 841,400 tests are expected to be delivered in B.C. later this week or into next week. Dix said more details will be released as tests are received from the federal government.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
Balancing act: Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO juggles Arctic airline challenges
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.