PERTH-WELLINGTON – The Ontario government has launched a new rapid testing portal to make it easier for essential businesses to access free rapid testing to help keep employees and their families safe.
Businesses are encouraged to participate in the program by registering at www.ontario.ca/testingonsite.
“Rapid antigen testing is one way to help local businesses open safely,” said Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece.
“Local businesses have asked for it. The expanded program along with the new online portal will help them do it. It’s also important to reassure people that they are safe and their coworkers are safe,” he added.
The new provincial portal provides free rapid antigen screening kits to help screen for asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 that might otherwise be missed. The government recently expanded program eligibility to include any business that can be open and requires staff to work on-site.
Through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program, Ontario has already delivered more than nine million rapid testing kits to nearly 1,600 workplaces. Test shipments to essential businesses have more than tripled since the beginning of April.
The recently launched rapid testing initiative run jointly by the province and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has already proven successful. In just two weeks, Ontario has received orders for more than 850,000 rapid tests and is delivering them to small- and medium-sized businesses in more than 40 communities across Ontario.
“To help stem the tide of the third wave and prevent workplace outbreaks, we launched the new rapid testing portal. We’re asking every business that’s able to be open, and particularly those in hot spots, to participate in Ontario’s COVID-19 Provincial Antigen Screening Program,” said Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli.
A COVID-19 rapid screening test can be performed anywhere (such as on-site at workplaces). It does not require shipping a specimen to a lab for processing and takes about 15 minutes to produce a result.
