NICKEL BELT – GREATER SUDBURY- COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for small and medium sized business and not-for-profits in all sectors across Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury. To help enable a safe restart to economic recovery, the Federal government invested in rapid testing. Testing and screening are important tools to help reduce the risk of outbreaks, quickly identify and isolate cases, and limit spreading in workplaces and the community further enabling the safe reopening and operation of more organizations.

As of April 27^th, 2021 over 41.8 million rapid tests have been shipped to the provinces and territories and over 639,000 rapid tests have been shipped directly to workplaces across Canada. Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury businesses and not-for-profits can apply directly through the Federal government website after filling out a questionnaire on eligibility. For direct federal delivery, priority is being given to organizations that operate in critical sectors, employ significant numbers of close-contact workers in multiple provinces and will start screening these workers right away. The COVID-19 rapid self-screening kits are provided free of charge to eligible small and medium-sized businesses with 150 and fewer employees, that are high risk and essential workplaces. The online portal can be found here.

Here locally, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is working collaboratively with the Federal and Provincial governments as a conduit for the local business community in order to access these kits through its online portal. Businesses can place an order for a number of kits (each box contains 25 kits and businesses must order in a multiple of 25), and participating businesses will be notified of a time and date for picking up the kits at the chamber’s office. Businesses do not have to be a Chamber member to access rapid testing.

The use of rapid tests as a screening tool is considered another layer of protection. It is not a substitute for other public health measures, such as mask wearing, hand hygiene, physical distancing, proper ventilation and using the COVID Alert app. The Government of Canada will continue to secure supply and provide rapid tests to provinces and territories for use in long-term care facilities, schools, close-contact workplaces and businesses. 

Quotes

“I commend our federal Government for investing in rapid-testing technology and making it convenient for businesses and organizations to access. Thank you to the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce for continuing to act in the best interest of the local business community and taking a proactive role in providing access to rapid tests. Collaborative efforts help jumpstart the path forward to a safe and sustainable reopening of our economy. The federal government will continue to work directly with industry to meet changing needs as we navigate new phases of this pandemic. As more individuals get vaccinated and provincial restrictions are eased, businesses need to be ready to ramp up safely and have the tools and confidence to keep employees and customers safe. I continue to encourage all to keep supporting local! ”- Marc G. Serré, MP Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

“The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is pleased to assist high-risk and essential-service, small and medium-sized businesses in the Sudbury and Manitoulin regions to have access to free, antigen rapid test kits to test their asymptomatic employees in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers and employees who participate in the screening program have an increased level of confidence that they are working in a safe environment and are not passing on the virus to their colleagues or clients.  This is a win-win for all.”  - Debbie Nicholson, President and CEO Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce

Quick Facts

• Rapid antigen tests—also referred to as rapid screens or rapid tests—are easy to administer, and produce results in as little as 15 minutes. They are most effective at identifying those with high viral load and high transmission potential. A positive rapid antigen test result should be confirmed with a diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test by local public health authorities.
• The Government of Canada has received nearly 42 million rapid tests and shipped 26.7 million rapid tests to provinces and territories, as well as over 1 million directly to organizations for workplace screening.
• The Government of Canada recently invested $430,000 in Waterloo Region's StaySafe Rapid Testing Program to provide free rapid screening tests for local workers of small and medium-sized businesses with a target of 3,000 tests per week.
• In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced the extension of emergency support programs including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, and Lockdown Support to finish the fight against COVID-19.
• In 2020, the Government of Canada provided $4.28 billion via the Safe Restart Agreement to provinces and territories to increase capacity to conduct testing, perform contact tracing and share public health data. This funding provided a foundation to help jurisdictions slow the spread of the virus.
• PHAC recently updated the Interim guidance on the use of rapid antigen detection tests for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection and provided guidance for Long-Term Care Homes. These guidance documents are based on the latest science and are meant to guide provinces and territories in their testing and screening efforts.
• In January 2021, the Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel released its first report entitled Priority Strategies to Optimize Testing and Screening for COVID-19 in Canada. Recent reports focus on testing and screening in long-term care facilities and schools.
• The Industry Advisory Roundtable on Testing, Screening, Tracing and Data Management has also provided advice via a report optimizing testing in workplaces to help protect workers in all-sized businesses and a second report on task shifting and self-administration for workplace screening programs.
  
  

Associated Links
Rapid tests for COVID-19 screening in the workplace
COVID-19 Testing, Screening, and Contact Tracing 
Industry Advisory Roundtable on COVID-19 Testing, Screening, Tracing and Data Management
Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel 
Safe Restart Agreement
COVID-19: Digital tools and apps for staying healthy
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

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Contact
Kaylie Dudgeon
Special Assistant
Marc G. Serré MP Nickel Belt
705-507-2416/[email protected]