COVID-19: Saskatchewan Orders Faster Test Kits, May Look For Other Options As Demand Grows | The Canadian News

The province’s largest school divisions said that in many cases there is more demand for rapid tests than for kits to take home with students to test for COVID-19.

Quick test kits were distributed to schools in Saskatchewan this week, and school divisions generally said the same thing: Many schools are selling out or have families on waiting lists.

“Our supply has already been exhausted, it has already been spoken, a school that was waiting for the exams to arrive had more than 100 families on a waiting list as of (Wednesday) … or it is almost gone,” wrote a Spokesperson for the Regina Division of Catholic Schools in an email. .

Saskatoon Public Schools said they were told by several principals that “the kits were very quick, and many schools reported that they have more families waiting to receive a kit than they actually received one.

The tests are done in homes with young children up to 11 years old. At a press conference Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Moe said demand has been high.

“We have a standing request with the federal government to make one million rapid tests available a month, as well as some of the newer types of rapid tests that Health Canada is approving,” he said.

He said that future tests could go to schools, some companies and be available to the public.

“What I had urged the prime minister in our call to do is study the approval of each and every one of the rapid test sources that we have, so the more the better if you like,” he said, adding that he also wants faster tests for the province.

“The more we have available, the sooner we will have them available to the people of Saskatchewan,” Moe said.

“They are our first line of defense and offense really in our battle in this fourth wave of COVID-19.”

However, the Saskatchewan Federation of Teachers said it is concerned about whether testing for school settings is best left to parents.

“We have no control over the test results,” said President Patrick Maze. “There is nothing that requires a parent to inform the school that their child was positive or negative.”

Maze said the tests should be administered by someone other than the family at home.

“The government had indicated that a third-party provider would administer the tests, and sadly that never seems to have happened,” he said.

School divisions in Saskatoon and Regina said the home rapid test kits have generally been a success.

“We see that as a positive sign that families are looking for various ways to help keep students and staff safe in schools,” Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools wrote in an email.

“(This) parental response in requesting these rapid tests … shows that they are as focused on student safety as the staff at our school. We are grateful for that, ”wrote Regina Public Schools.

Moe said the province could exit the federal government to seek additional tests to meet the growing demand.

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