(John Paul Tasker/ CBC News) — The federal government today announced a plan to buy 7.9 million point-of-care COVID-19 tests in the months ahead — and defended a Health Canada regulatory process that has left the country with few rapid testing devices to deploy as cases mount.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the order from U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories is meant to offer other testing options to Canadians at a time when the country’s testing apparatus is being severely strained.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has so far approved dozens of rapid testing devices, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said such tests would only be rolled out in Canada once regulators here are sure they are safe to use.
To date, the vast majority of tests have been done at public health clinics, with samples then sent to laboratories for analysis — a process that can take days.
A point-of-care test could be administered by trained professionals in other settings. The molecular test Canada is looking to buy — the ID NOW — can produce results from a nasal swab in as little as 13 minutes. (…)