By Chris Brown

Program also underway at worksites

Province expands rapid testing in continuing care homes

Feb 9, 2021 | 11:25 AM

The Alberta government is expanding the use of rapid testing to asymptomatic staff in long-term care and supportive living facilities in the province and has a worksite testing program already underway.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro says sites have already been identified by Alberta Health Services and testing will begin as soon as next week. He adds other operators have reached out to take part in the program as well.

Shandro used Revera, which operates Riverview long-term care centre and Meadowlands retirement home in Medicine Hat, as an example.

“They’re confident they’ll be able to offer this testing to their 3,000 employees here in Alberta at their seven long-term care facilities and 15 retirement residences in the province,” said Shandro.

Revera has already begun rapid testing at facilities in Ontario and Shandro say they believe it’s played a vital role in controlling the spread of COVID-19. He adds health officials hope and expect it will make a difference in Alberta as well.

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Shandro says this isn’t just another policy announcement, but that it’s deeply personal as well.

“It’s about protecting the most vulnerable Albertans – our parents and our grandparents, including my own,” says Shandro.

The expansion will eventually cover all 36,000 staff in continuing care centres in Alberta. The tests will be provided free by the provincial government.

Tests will be done once per week to start and Shandro says if positive cases in the surrounding community reach five per cent or higher testing will be done twice a week.

The province has also provided 7,000 rapid tests for a pilot project at two Suncor Energy worksites in Alberta.

The pilots at Suncor Energy’s base plant in Fort McMurray and the First Nation and Métis community of Fort McKay will test about 325 workers twice per week, for 10 weeks. Creative Destruction Labs will lead the program.

Shandro says the pilot started a few weeks ago and so far no positive tests have been recorded.

The health minister says the programs will aid research on how to best deploy rapid testing. Programs are being developed for other settings such as correctional facilities, shelters and schools for asymptomatic people.

“We’re also continuing to expand rapid testing for symptomatic people at COVID-19 assessment centres including in rural locations where it drastically cuts down the wait time for results,” he says.

Sandstone Pharmacies, which has locations on Carry Drive and Eighth Street NW in Medicine Hat, announced this week it will roll out a COVID-19 PCR testing service.

The company expects the program to be in Medicine Hat next week.