B.C.’s health minister says the province is getting millions more COVID-19 rapid test kits from the federal government this month.
“Currently B.C., and this is a change, expects to receive 16,597,515 tests between today, Feb. 1, 2022, and the middle of February. This is an increase from the 15,719,920 that we were expecting as of Jan. 20, 2022, and an increase from the number that we provided last week,” announced Adrian Dix.
“This is good news. Clearly, the supply of tests is substantial but it’s also in flux as orders and deliveries get firmed up by the federal government.”
Still, the tests are being distributed based on a priority list set by public health officials.
The province received more than 2 million kits in the past three days and will be sending out 1.2 million in the next week. 350,000 to replenish supplies at COVID-19 test sites, 100,000 for acute care centres, 260,00 to long-term and continuing care, 130,00 for rural and Indigenous communities, and another 300,000 for K-12 education.
Dix and B.C. public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry were asked about the more than three million doses being held in supply, and why they aren’t being given to people for more at-home testing.
Henry pointed out that with 600,000 children in the K-12 school system, plus staff, those three million would be used up pretty quickly if they were all shipped out. She also said many are being distributed right now.
Dix made it clear that the three million are not tests that are just sitting around.
“We’ve had tests, in the millions, come in in the last three days. What happens is they come in, we process them and then go out. I laid out in detail where 1.2 million are going this week. So, what you’re seeing is us taking the tests when they arrive, they’re not always consistent on their arrival, and then distributing them to the areas of priority,” he said.
He also said the numbers will be increasing significantly in the next couple of weeks.
As spring break approaches, some British Columbians are wondering about the availability of PCR testing to meet the guidelines for travel outside the country.
Dr. Henry made it clear, publicly-funded tests are not intended to ease the way for leisure travellers, and anyone looking for one for that purpose should be going to a private clinic and paying for their test.
“There are some provisions in places, I know private clinics, to be able to get a confirmation associated with a rapid test-positive, at a person’s own expense, like other travel clinic services that are provided,” she noted.
However, she also said talks continue with federal officials on updating international travel rules. “We have had ongoing discussions about the border measures and what tests are required when and why. And I know they are reviewing those in the next few weeks.”
