Ontario reveals enhanced COVID-19 testing strategy for pharmacies, schools over winter period

The Ford government is launching an enhanced testing strategy in hopes of mitigating the risk and spread of COVID-19 during the winter months.

Health officials say with more Ontarians spending more time indoors, a rise in new COVID cases is expected due to the increased close contact. The plan announced Thursday, they say, will provide quick, convenient access to testing and results.

As CityNews first reported on Tuesday, the province plans to add 600 pharmacies to the list of those offering PCR tests to eligible individuals, including those with symptoms, starting this week. Provincial officials say upwards of 1,300 pharmacies could opt-in to the program over the coming weeks.

Previously, anyone seeking a COVID-19 test at a pharmacy in the province needed to be asymptomatic. Thursday’s announcement makes Ontario the first province in Canada to allow symptomatic testing within local pharmacies.

Besides in-store lab-based PCR testing, individuals will also have access to a drop-off program for take-home tests – similar to the system currently being implemented at public schools across the province.

There will also be in-store rapid molecular testing by appointment only, which will see results processed on-site within 15 to 30 minutes. This option is being initially rolled out in Northern Ontario before being expanded across the rest of the province.

Health officials faced a number of questions regarding spaces at pharmacies to conduct these tests. All they would say is “sufficient dedicated space for testing/specimen collection” will be required and must comply with robust infection prevention and IPAC control measures.

Information on which pharmacies and services offered will be available at Ontario.ca/covidtestinglocations.

“Through this expansion, participating pharmacies will offer testing to all individuals that are eligible according to provincial guidance,” said government officials. “This includes targeted groups of asymptomatic individuals and individuals who have been identified as high-risk contact of a COVID-19 case.”

In addition to scaling up deployment of PCR self-collection kits to students who are symptomatic or are asymptomatic close contacts of a confirmed case, the province will provide 11 million rapid antigen tests to students as they leave for winter break beginning Dec. 23. Every student will receive a box of five tests to use every three to five days, on a voluntary basis, allowing for asymptomatic screening before they return in January. The provincial government spent $50 million to buy the tests from private company BTNX.

All private and First Nation schools have also been asked if they would like to access take-home PCR self-collection kits.

Families across the province have sought access to rapid tests throughout the pandemic. Tests are available in areas of high transmission for students with COVID-19 symptoms or considered a close contact of a confirmed case, but they haven’t been made available to all students before the current holiday plan.

This fall, parent groups were frustrated when the province excluded them from a rapid test program intended for businesses, after some of them started distributing the tests to kids. At the time, chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said widespread asymptomatic testing wasn’t necessary.

On Thursday, Moore said things have changed because people will be socializing indoors more over the holidays and over the colder months, and because cases have been rising in the province, with 711 cases reported on Thursday.

“We do think it’s evidence-based, that it’s risk-based, and in many communities, it’s quite proportionate to the risk at present,” Moore said.

Critics said the province acted too late to offer rapid testing for students.

Marit Stiles, education critic for the Opposition New Democrats, said the party supports rapid tests for students but they should have been offered “12 to 18 months ago.” She also expressed doubt that the plan would be ready before the December break, because boards don’t already have the tests.

“I have no confidence that the government is actually going to be able to roll this plan out in time for the holidays, and that’s really disappointing,” she said.

The Green Party of Ontario said tests should be made available to all students until the end of June, and leader Mike Schreiner said the holiday-limited plan is “just another example of how this government is always acting too late” on its pandemic response.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government will follow the advice of the province’s top doctor and other experts on best practices for testing.

Education officials also said they hope to allow secondary schools to go back to their regular timetabling model of four courses per day starting in February 2022.

As well, health officials will conduct a holiday testing “blitz” from mid-December to early January with pop-up testing for asymptomatic people in higher traffic public settings, such as malls, public spaces and holiday markets. Locations are currently being identified and will be announced in early December. The locations will be places where vaccine certificates are not required.