Dear Business & Community Leaders,
Last week we
announced a new initiative to increase access to rapid screening test kits to Ottawa businesses. This program is a partnership with the
Ontario and
Canadian Chambers as well as the Ontario and Canadian government. Our ultimate goal is to reopen the whole economy and keep all businesses open.
As the voice for business in Ottawa, we are committed to this program and the early identification of asymptomatic carriers for the following reasons and anticipated outcomes.
- Provide an added layer of protection for employees and customers.
- Build business, workforce, and consumer confidence.
- Stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Support healthy workplace cultures.
- Create a strong foundation for reopening and recovery.
Locally, we are working closely with Invest Ottawa and we will use their site at Bayview Yards as the main distribution point for the kits. It is a central location and has gold standard COVID-19 safety protocols already in place. We intend to launch last week of May and run the program until August or as needed. We are working with several community partners on a variety of fronts. Final details well be made available next week however you can see details as they come here.
Today, the Ontario government launched a new rapid testing portal to make it easier for all essential businesses to participate in its free Provincial Antigen Screening Program—with rapid testing kits being shipped directly to businesses to help screen for asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 and keep essential workers safe.
Ontario has already delivered more than nine million rapid testing kits to nearly 1,600 workplaces. Test shipments to essential businesses have more than tripled since the beginning of April.
Businesses are encouraged to participate in the program by registering at ontario.ca/testingonsite. These free kits help screen for asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 that might otherwise be missed.
It is one more way that businesses can help workers and their families stay safe and keep the virus out of workplaces. Program eligibility was recently expanded to include any business that is allowed to be open and requires staff to work on-site.
In just two weeks, Ontario has received orders for more than 850,000 rapid tests from Ontario Chambers and is quickly delivering them to small and medium-sized businesses in more than 40 communities across the province. As the results of positive PCR tests are already reported to local public health units (PHUs) through the provincial lab network, the Ministry of Health is updating program requirements so organizations providing rapid antigen screening will no longer have to report preliminary positive results to PHUs, nor will they be required to report results of confirmatory lab-based PCR tests to the province. These changes will help encourage greater use of rapid testing by reducing the administrative burden and implementation barriers for all organizations and workplaces, while still maintaining strong public health and safety measures.
Rapid testing is one more way businesses can help workers and their families stay safe and keep the virus out of workplaces.
Businesses of any size can find out how to access rapid antigen tests through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program by visiting ontario.ca/testingonsite. Please see the News Release.
Many thanks for the support and positive feedback we have received from local businesses, community and media partners these last few days. We are determined to get the test kits out to all businesses as easily and quickly as possible. They will be an essential component of our reopening and recovery strategy. Stay tuned for more details very soon.
Finally, if you have any interest in volunteering at our distribution site, please contact us at strongertogether@ottawabot.ca. Subject: Volunteers for Rapid Testing
We are grateful for any assistance in rolling out this important program.
Yours in prosperity,
Sueling
Sueling Ching | President & CEO | Ottawa Board of Trade
