Flin Flon and several other northern communities will soon receive COVID-19 rapid testing devices.
The provincial government announced Nov. 3 that it had acquired 13 Abbott ID NOW rapid test devices and supplies for 4,000 tests, with most of the test devices being brought into remote and northern communities. According to the provincial government announcement, test units will be brought into Swan River, The Pas, Churchill, Thompson, Lynn Lake, Gillam and Flin Flon.
COVID-19 tests from northern communities have seen delays in receiving results - most, if not all, tests are sent to Winnipeg to be processed and can see delays due to weather or other factors keeping tests from making it south.
The northern communities announced each have, according to the province, existing labs capable of processing rapid tests with the new machines.
Two of the new Abbott devices will also be taken to St. Boniface Hospital to increase testing - there is currently an outbreak at the facility - while one will set aside, according to the province, to "help Manitoba officials evaluate how best to use these tests to help protect Manitobans."
The rest of the units will be transported around the province as required, depending on which areas are considered in highest need of COVID-19 testing. The new units will be moved across the province this week.
Along with the new testing devices, the province announced the purchase of 87,000 antigen tests from PanBio, an Australia-based company owned by Abbot, the same company that makes the rapid test devices. The effectiveness of antigen-based tests for screening is currently being vetted by labs across Canada, including in Manitoba.
