Federal officials are adding more rapid COVID-19 tests to Canada’s arsenal as rising Omicron variant infections push some public sectors to the brink.
Healthcare faces serious pressures across the country because front-line personnel are unable to work while waiting for delayed test results or isolate themselves with infections. Other sectors, including education and recreation, are also noticing significant staff shortages.
In Manitoba, the Winnipeg Police Service declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. The service said 170 employees were booked on COVID-19-related leave.
Calgary Police also warned of staff pressure after 36 members tested positive and 35 additional members were in isolation.
Ontario, Quebec and other provinces recently shortened the length of isolation periods for infected people from half to five days as a way to offset the impacts of similar staffing situations in a multitude of sectors.
Many jurisdictions are also considering the flurry of rapid tests expected to be delivered in the coming weeks to address the infectious Omicron variant while keeping the economy running.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said 140 million tests will be distributed to provinces and territories per capita this month. That’s four times the number delivered in December, he said, and would allow every Canadian to have one test per week in January.
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However, each province is distributing the rapid tests differently and not everyone has the same access.
Ontario’s emerging model for rapid testing has been widely criticized for having long lines and insufficient supply. The situation has developed similarly in other provinces where there are significant delays in obtaining laboratory test results, but there is no generalized way to obtain or purchase rapid tests.
The Federal Opposition accused the Liberal government of failing to deliver rapid tests to Canadians. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole suggested that the Canada Post could have been used many months ago.
Provinces that will receive large shipments of rapid tests this month: Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau. #CDNPoli # Covid19
“Before Christmas, it was like the ‘Hunger Games’ trying to get a quick test in Canada,” O’Toole said during a Facebook Live on Wednesday. “There should have been hundreds of millions of these tests that have already been used over the course of the last year.”
Despite those concerns, distribution will remain dependent on provinces, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during the first federal COVID-19 update of the new year.
“Different regions of this country face very different situations,” he said.
In a familiar routine, Ontario reintroduced restrictions on Wednesday. Restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other closed venues were forced to close, while retail stores and personal care services were limited to half capacity. Schools were closed across the province and all non-urgent scheduled surgeries stopped.
Ontario reported 2,081 people in the hospital with COVID-19, up from 1,290 the day before, and 288 patients in intensive care.
On the other hand, Quebec reported 39 more deaths and an increase of 158 hospitalizations for a total of 1,750.
Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge said classes will resume on January 17 as scheduled, but the province will distribute packets with five COVID-19 self-assessments to all primary and secondary students in January and February. to try to control infections in schools.
“Our schools are and will be safe,” he said.
With regions of the country restricting molecular laboratory testing to prioritize high-risk individuals, including healthcare workers, it is not known how many COVID-19 cases are actually in Canada. Dr. Theresa Tam, director of public health, said officials are still monitoring the spread of the virus and public health can still track trends and identify spread in the community.
“We are doing more daily tests than in any other period during this pandemic,” Tam said.
Trudeau said he understands that people are frustrated as the country approaches two years into the pandemic.
“There have been moments of more intensity and moments of less, but I think everyone expected us to be in a much better place right now,” he said.
In fact, Trudeau added, things are different. Canadians are experienced in what needs to be done to slow the spread of the virus, vaccination rates are high, and there will be a significant supply of rapid tests.
“There is no magic bullet in this. None of us want to be here right now, but we know what to do to get over it.”
This Canadian Press report was first published on January 5, 2022.
– With files from Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa and Jacob Serebrin in Montreal
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com