Update coming today on federal delivery of more rapid COVID-19 tests
CBC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to give an update today on federal deliveries of more rapid tests.
A spokesperson said the prime minister will make the announcement during an 11:30 a.m. ET news conference.
The provinces and territories have been scrambling to keep up with the demand for the do-it-yourself tests as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads across the country.
On Tuesday, rapid test kits ran out within an hour at a pop-up in Kitchener, Ont. Before the Christmas break, Ontario Premier Doug Ford apologized after free COVID-19 rapid tests offered at LCBO stores and other locations in the province "disappeared like rapid fire."
The rush for rapid tests comes as many regions scale back on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, the gold standard of testing, due to capacity concerns. PCR tests are largely offered through assessment centres, hospitals and other health-care settings and require lab analysis.
Trudeau's spokesperson said he will also talk about the latest Canadian Armed Forces deployment in Quebec and the federal support benefits available to Canadians.
Before Parliament broke for the holiday break, it passed a bill creating the Canada worker lockdown benefit (CWLB) for workers who cannot work due to a local lockdown designation.
Successful applicants are eligible to receive $300 per week, which has been criticized by the NDP for not being enough.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo will also be taking questions this morning.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.