WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government has announced a new pilot COVID-19 testing site that will provide rapid tests for teachers and school staff.
Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson and Education Minister Cliff Cullen made the announcement Thursday saying the site will be called Fast Pass and it is an appointment-based location.
“Offering a dedicated testing stream to people working in schools will allow us to quickly identify any cases of COVID-19,” said Stefanson, who noted this will lead to faster contact tracing and reduce the community spread.
“The launch of our first Fast Pass site will provide our education system with the reassurance that there is a dedicated testing option to support timely access to COVID-19 results.”
The site will open on Jan. 18 at 1066 Nairn Ave. in Winnipeg. It will initially be open to staff who work in the Winnipeg, Seven Oaks, River East Transcona, Seine River, and Hanover school divisions.
The province said other school divisions will be allowed to use the site in February.
It will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day and there will be a specific entrance for Fast Pass appointments.
During the first week of opening, the province said there will be roughly 20 to 40 slots open each day and that will grow to 80 by the second week and the hope is to eventually ramp up to 160 tests a day.
“We want teachers and school staff to be able to focus on their students and to continue providing quality education to our young Manitobans,” said Cullen.
With the rapid testing available, the teachers and school staff will be able to see the results of their tests the very same day online. If they receive a test, they must self-isolate until they receive their results.
The province did note wait times could be longer during the beginning of the pilot project.
There is a chance the project could be expanded to other Manitoba locations such as Winkler and Brandon, depending on how the first pilot project goes.
