100K COVID-19 rapid test kits coming to Sask. schools

COVID-19 cases rise in Regina schools WATCH: COVID-19 cases were reported at a range of Regina public and Catholic schools this weekend. Stefanie Davis reports.

REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan says it will administer 100,000 COVID-19 rapid testing kits to schools across the province, starting this week.

Teachers and staff will not be admininstering the tests, the province said in a news release Monday.

It says a rapid antigen tests can be administered by "laypeople" who have completed a training program through the Saskatchewan Health Authority lab. The government says schools will work with their local medical health officers to determine when testing is appropriate.

“The rapid antigen tests use a short nasal swab and can be administered by laypeople who have completed a training program through the Saskatchewan Health Authority lab. Schools will work with their local medical health officers to determine when testing is appropriate and will work with parents and caregivers to ensure consent is in place,” a news release from the Government of Saskatchewan said.

These tests require confirmation via a PCR test provided by the Saskatchewan Health Authority and a negative test does not need to be confirmed as long as the individual has no symptoms of COVID-19.

Dustin Duncan, the minister of education, said at this point the rapid test kits have been allocated to school divisions based on their student enrolment.

“We will possibly have a second launch after Easter, depending on if some school divisions require more,” Duncan said. “At this point, the two school divisions in Regina are going to receive just under 20,000 of the rapid tests.”

He said school divisions will decide if and when the tests will be administered to their schools. If some school divisions with lower case counts don’t have a need for more tests, theirs can go to schools with more cases.

“I think school divisions will work together to make sure that those who need them the most have them,” Duncan said.

An online training video is all that is required for a person to be qualified to administer the rapid test kits. Duncan said in high schools, students might be able to test themselves if they take the training video. Parents could also become qualified if they take the training.

700K RAPID TEST KITS PROMISED IN FEBRUARY

The education minister said this is the first round of rapid testing kits deployed to Saskatchewan schools.

In February, the province said it would distribute 700,000 rapid test kits by the end of that month. It said schools would be receive a portion of that.

Duncan said there are a number of reasons why the schools are only getting them now.

“We focused on some of the higher priority areas in terms of where COVID-19 related illnesses were causing the most problems in terms of hospitalizations and unfortunately fatalities,” Duncan said. “I know that long term care facilities and seniors facilities did receive quite a number of these.”

He said there also had to be a change made to the Medical Lab Licensing Act so you didn’t need a lab license to administer the tests.

Thirdly, he said the swabs that came with the batch of rapid tests in February were the largest size.

“Since they were shipped to the province, Health Canada has subsequently made a change and approved their use using a less invasive nasal swab,” Duncan said. “For children, especially younger children, the less invasive nasal swab is probably easier to administer.”

He said the less invasive swabs will be delivered with the kits to schools.