More rapid tests are coming to schools in Ontario, says Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education

School boards and child care centers in Ontario will henceforth receive rapid COVID tests on a fortnightly basis, with 3.6 million to be distributed this week, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, Lecce said “we have reopened schools with a commitment to educate students in classrooms with improved measures in place to keep them as safe as possible. Nothing matters anymore. It is why we have already deployed 5.2 million rapid tests to schools and childcare facilities by 2022 to reduce risk and further protect Ontario families. ”

The boards now have to send out the additional 3.6 million fast antigen tests, and from now on fortnightly.

When personal classes resumed in mid-January, primary schools would initially receive two rapid tests per student and staff member, with high schools to follow as more tests became available.

Students were previously provided with a set of five quick tests to use over the holidays. Some councils also provided tests to staff.

Schools were to reopen for personal learning on January 3, but this was initially delayed by two days as N95 masks for teachers and HEPA filters for classrooms began to be distributed.

Then Premier Doug Ford announced that students would learn online until January 17, given the increase in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Ontario students have spent more time learning online than in any other Canadian province and most other jurisdictions around the world – more than 27 weeks since the pandemic struck 96 weeks ago.

The rapid testing initiative in schools last month came because the province restricted access to laboratory-based PCR tests.