Winnipeg mom wants rapid tests given to daycares

A Winnipeg mother is calling on the Manitoba government to distribute rapid tests to daycares.

Jenna Kennedy, a mother of three, said the policy at the daycare two of her children attend has changed so that if a child shows any symptoms, they can either stay out of the daycare for 10 days, test negative on a rapid test three days in a row, or get a negative PCR test result.

Kennedy noted that rapid antigen tests aren’t available for kids under the age of five at provincial test sites and PCR results have been backlogged, which means parents and kids could be stuck at home for a while.

“The only option for most parents is going to be 10 days out of daycare,” she said. “That’s 10 days out of work, 10 days out of school, things like that.”

She added that the daycare does not have access to rapid tests, despite the fact it has advocated for them.

Now Kennedy is joining the daycare to call on the province to provide rapid tests to kids and staff.

“I wrote a letter to the minister of families. Just trying to advocate for a little bit more,” she said.

Kennedy said the ideal situation would be that if a child is sent home with symptoms, they are provided with the rapid tests they need to be able to eventually return to daycare.