Rapid-testing urgently needed as first-line defence

The nature of pandemics is that they cross borders and create challenges for jurisdictions around the world. So, while The Chamber fully supports the made-in-BC approach of our Provincial Health Officer, we also believe we can benefit from looking at solutions tried elsewhere.

On Feb. 2, The Chamber co-signed an op-ed that ran in the National Post that called on Canada to embrace rapid testing along with contact tracing.

"This strategy involves:

• using tests that deliver results in minutes to find positive cases and isolate them quickly;
• testing high-risk and asymptomatic individuals;
• implementing effective contact tracing to quickly identify those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, so they, too, can be rapidly tested; and
• supporting a layered approach, which includes maintaining physical distancing and protective measures like masks, hand-washing and new safety protocols in stores and workplaces.
  

Frequent testing with antigen tests can be scaled up quickly, in order to detect contagiousness and help cut the chains of infection. Indeed, some countries have tested their entire populations in days using this approach, while others are launching campaigns to test millions daily. In contrast, Canada currently administers barely 70,000 daily PCR tests, which deliver results in days, rather than minutes."

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