Chatham-Kent businesses with 150 employees or less are being offered the chance to get access to free rapid COVID-19 tests.
The Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Ridgetown, Tilbury and Wallaceburg Chambers of Commerce, and in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and senior levels of government, have launched the COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative.
Through the initiative, the chamber will roll out free rapid tests for small and medium-sized businesses in Chatham-Kent.
The COVID-19 tests will provide free rapid antigen tests for all businesses in Chatham-Kent, including non-chamber members, with 150 employees or less.
According to Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Gail Hundt, the goal of the program is to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace that may otherwise be missed.
“The Chamber of Commerce organizations have been indispensable resources in their communities since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Public health and the health of our economy are interdependent," Hundt said. "This is why our Chamber is proud to distribute rapid tests to businesses in Chatham-Kent. We are extremely pleased to be working with our fellow Chambers as we all hope, through this program, we will be able to curb the spread of the virus and reopen our local economy safely while in a timely fashion.”
Anyone interested in obtaining a kit can visit the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce website by clicking here.
Screening kits can be scheduled on the website for pickup at 920 Richmond Street in Chatham, by appointment only. The pickup dates available will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. until further notice.
In addition, the website also features a training video and a portal to report test results. Businesses will not be required to provide any government or public health reporting, however, the accumulated data will be reported to the Ministry of Health on a bi-monthly basis.
Orders will be coordinated to provide a two-week supply to the workplace and it is recommended that staff members are screened twice a week. During the screening process, any employees with positive or inconclusive results will need to leave the workplace and arrange for a PCR Test at a local testing facility.
