Ontario to announce rapid COVID-19 testing program in select schools
CTV
Ontario's chief medical officer of health is set to make an announcement today about use of rapid COVID-19 tests in schools, after a month of confusion about their role in preventing widespread infection in children.
A source told CTV News Toronto on Monday that Dr. Kieran Moore’s announcement will reveal a plan to use rapid antigen COVID-19 tests on students in areas of the province with higher rates of infection.
The announcement comes after groups of parents had organized surveillance testing for their schools using the rapid test kits, but CP24 revealed the Ford government told two agencies to stop distributing them to anyone but businesses.
It also comes four weeks after CP24 reported that the province was shipping free rapid antigen test kits to private schools, a practice the Minister of Education’s office stopped after it was asked to comment on the policy.
Moore has said widespread asymptomatic surveillance testing in schools isn't recommended because it isn't an effective tool.
