Image courtesy: Derek Brade

By Darren Rathwell

Rapid handout of free rapid test kits in Medicine Hat

Dec 21, 2021 | 11:56 AM

MEDICINE HAT — Free rapid COVID-19 tests were being rapidly handed out in this southeastern Alberta city Tuesday, on offer once more at the health clinic on Dunmore Road.

“We do have family living here in Medicine Hat we like to see..grandchildren.. we don’t want to contaminate them so that’s why it was important to us to get this,” one woman told CHAT News as she and her partner left the Medicine Hat Community Health Services clinic. We asked them if it was their first attempt at getting a test kit.

“Yes it was.. it was easy we just walked up to the door,” the woman said.

The scene Tuesday morning was much different from Monday when dozens of people lined up outside the clinic, hoping to get the kits.

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Instead, the test kits were quickly dispensed at the door Tuesday, with people coming and going at a steady pace.

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“I was here on Friday and I was here yesterday, and there was a big line up so I was quite thankful that today when I was driving by there wasn’t a sandwich board saying they were out and that there wasn’t a big lineup,” another woman leaving the clinic said.

A man with test kit in tow told CHAT News he wanted to add to the comfort level of others.

“So just getting together with family and stuff it’ll be nice to take (the tests) and.. just give them a sense of knowing that nothing’s gonna happen.”

Another man leaving the clinic said, “there’s a lot of people that.. y’know you see that don’t wear masks and stuff so you never know if someone has it or not so it’s like the more you can do to protect yourself and protect your family.. I think is important especially if you know people who are immunocompromised.”

400 rapid tests were available from the health clinic on Friday. There’s no word on how many are available this week.