Here's when drive-through testing will begin in Sask.

REGINA — Drive-through testing sites will open in Regina and Saskatoon next week.

These locations will be additions to existing testings sites in these cities.

REGINA

SASKATOON

“Collectively, Regina and Saskatoon account for approximately half of our provincial testing each day and drive through testing sites are one of the ways the SHA is expanding the options for people to get tested for COVID-19,” Jim Reiter, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health, said.

The province said the drive-through test sites will help work towards its goal of a testing capacity of 4,000 tests per day.

Scott Livingstone, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said the province could likely deal with a single day high of 4,000 tests, but would require some adjustments to accommodate a consistent stream of high test numbers each day.

“If we had 3,000 or 4,000 tests come in today, we would be able to meet that target,” Livingstone said. “We currently don’t have capacity meet seven days a week at 4,000 [tests], but that is what we’re actively working on.”

The SHA does not expect to be reaching that 4,000 tests per day maximum as schools resume next week.

Testing is universally available to everyone in Saskatchewan.

Drive-through testing is done on a first-come-first-serve basis. Reiter noted this format could lead to longer wait times at these sites.

The province said it is examining the efficiency and success of the drive-through sites, to gauge further testing options in rural and remote areas.

“If in fact it’s something that looks like its quite successful, we would look at pop up testing sites similar in more rural locations,” Livingstone said. “We do have lots of capacity in rural Saskatchewan for COVID testing, and we’ve never come close to that capacity.”