The Public Health Agency of Canada announced on Wednesday the cessation of deliveries of rapid COVID-19 tests to the provinces which will take place by December 2022, according to Global News.
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“The Government of Canada will continue to take orders for direct distributions of rapid tests from organizations with 200 or more employees until July 29, 2022, and from pharmacy partners until September 2022 whose distribution is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises,” a spokesperson for the agency told Global News.
Public health, however, clarified that it will keep a strategic reserve of 100 million rapid tests, of which 50 million will be reserved for the provinces and territories while the other half will be intended for possible “general upsurges”.
The federal agency explained that their management of the health crisis is currently entering a new phase, now that the health crisis is experiencing a lull.
The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) will continue to receive deliveries of rapid tests in order to support the needs of people served by CRC charities.