The Government of Ontario has launched a new online portal where employers can apply for free rapid COVID-19 testing kits to aid in workplace screening. Eligibility for the kits has also been expanded to include all essential businesses that currently remain open and have employees working on-site.
Background
Rapid COVID-19 testing kits were initially launched as a pilot project in November 2020 to aid essential workplaces in screening their on-site employees. The program was previously restricted to certain essential industries and sectors. The tests are aimed towards stopping the spread of COVID-19 in essential workplaces by identifying positive cases in employees who may be asymptomatic or displaying only mild symptoms.
The rapid tests involve self-administered nostril swabs, and can return results in roughly fifteen minutes. The tests can be administered anywhere on-site, and do not require any shipment to a lab for processing, though any positive results yielded from these rapid tests must be followed up with a lab-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for confirmation.
New Framework
As Ontario grapples with its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, eligibility to receive these free rapid testing kits has been expanded to include any workplace that is both permitted to remain open during the provincial stay-at-home-order, and requires staff to perform their duties on-site. In particular, the province is encouraging employers who employ more than 150 employees, or with workplaces in hotspot regions, to apply for the free kits.
Employers should keep in mind that a negative result from a rapid test has no bearing on the existing public health measures that are in place. Employees who receive negative test results are still required to comply with public health measures in the workplace where applicable, such as physical distancing, and the wearing of masks.
Employers can check their eligibility for the program and apply for free rapid testing kits here.
This blog is provided as an information service and summary of workplace legal issues.
This information is not intended as legal advice.