Canada to Distribute 140M Rapid COVID-19 Test Kits

The Canadian government said it will deliver 140 million rapid COVID-19 test kits to provinces and territories this month as the Omicron variant continues to spread.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement Wednesday in the first official update this year on the state of COVID-19 in Canada.

“Our job is to procure as many [tests] as we possibly can and get them to the provinces free of charge. They will make determinations around delivering them to people,” said the Prime Minister.

Mr. Trudeau said it’s clear that rapid testing is a tool for getting through the pandemic, and that certain jurisdictions such as Nova Scotia have made extensive use of rapid testing.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, attending the same news conference, said the 140 million adds up to one rapid test a week per person in Canada in January.

Before December, 2021, Mr. Duclos said the government delivered 85 million tests to provinces and territories, with 35 million tests delivered in December.

January 05, 2022