MHA calls on province to provide COVID-19 rapid tests free of charge

As Newfoundland and Labrador moves away from mass PCR testing for COVID-19, one MHA is questioning whether the decision is a budgetary one.

During a media briefing held Friday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Janice Fitzgerald said restricting PCR testing to vulnerable populations was necessary in order for the province's health care system to return to normal.

"Health care staff have been redeployed to COVID swabbing and bookings for two years now," she said. With up to 2,000 tests being processed every day, Fitzgerald said it's time for laboratories to "refocus." 

"We have to refine the approach to testing to ensure it is used in the most appropriate way possible," she said.

Fitzgerald said PCR testing is currently limited to household contacts, non-household contacts with symptoms and those with symptoms who are at an increased risk of severe disease, live or work in congregate setting, or deal directly with patients.

Those who are excluded from these categories have few options but to purchase a rapid test out of pocket.

While Fitzgerald said three million rapid tests have been distributed to the community through schools, health care centres, congregate living facilities, corrections services and more, Independent MHA Paul Lane said the province should be paying to make them available to everyone.

"When we eliminate an option like PCR testing to control this virus, it's obviously concerning to me," he said.

Lane said his constituents in Mount Pearl-Southlands have been complaining about the cost of rapid tests — he said one in particular had spent $240 on them in a single month. 

That's something Lane said residents of other provinces don't have to worry about. 

"Every other province in the country is providing rapid tests free of charge to the general public," he said.

"We're all one country — we should be treated equally and fairly."

Lane wonders whether other provinces have kept the supply stocked by supplementing federal contributions themselves.

"If that's what it is," he said, "then the minister needs to come out and tell the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that every other province is supplementing their supply, and we're not, because of budgetary reasons."