Rapid antigen tests are finally being shipped out to K-12 school staff across the province.
These tests will be an additional tool that will be used to support the continuity of learning in schools with the aim to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
The exact number of tests delivered to each school district will be determined by the amount of working teaching and non-teaching staff.
In BC, there are approximately 86,700 public school employees, 16,000 employees of independent schools and 1,000 employees in First Nation schools.
Provincial health officials continue to direct where and how antigen tests are best distributed in the provincial pandemic response, including if additional tests will be needed in school districts.
The allocation of test kits for the K-12 sector was received from Artron Laboratories Inc., a Burnaby-based company, and is in addition to supplies provided to medical health officers in health authorities that will continue to be used to investigate clusters and outbreaks in schools.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, BC has invested $114.5 million to assist school districts in upgrading ventilation in thousands of classrooms across the province.
Additional funding to support further ventilation improvements and upgrades in K-12 public schools will be made available soon.
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