Manitoba expanding eligibility for rapid antigen tests

FILE - An Abbott Laboratories Panbio COVID- 19 Rapid Test device is displayed at a pop-up COVID-19 testing site on the Dalhousie University campus in Halifax on Wednesday, Nov. 23 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The Manitoba government said it will be expanding eligibility for rapid antigen tests for certain staff in critical service areas – including school teachers and staff – who are showing COVID-19 symptoms.

In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the eligibility is being expanded to include all designated staff who are symptomatic and work as school teachers or staff with direct, ongoing or prolonged contact with Kindergarten to Grade 12 students.

Eligibility for rapid antigen tests is also being expanded to include symptomatic staff who work:

• in early learning and child-care facilities;
• with Community Living disABILITY Services service providers;
• with child and family services group care providers;
• in homeless and family violence shelters;
• in Manitoba Families, working in front-line positions with clients.

The province said tests will be provided to staff who are already showing symptoms and are scheduled to work within three days.

"The tests are intended to be used only for designated staff who have COVID-19 symptoms," the province said in the news release.

 The province said home-based early learning and childcare providers should contact their childcare coordinator if they are symptomatic and would like to get a rapid test.

 The province said it is not recommending rapid antigen tests be used for young children at childcare centres, and said caution needs to be taken when doing a swab on a young child who is not able to sit still. The province said if a child has symptoms of COVID-19, parents can bring them to a provincial testing site.

The province said it is also implementing a testing program for asymptomatic teachers, staff and kindergarten to Grade 12 students at Manitoba schools experiencing high case numbers or high levels of absenteeism.

These schools will be provided rapid antigen tests to be used for students and staff who may potentially have been exposed as a part of a cluster or outbreak, or who are part of a cohort with a concerning level of cases or absenteeism, the province said.

The province said these programs are expected to be in place by Jan. 17 and said more details are being finalized and will be sent to affected programs.