A COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative is being launched through our district.
The North Bay & District Chamber of commerce, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the provincial and federal governments, will begin rolling out free rapid tests for small and medium-sized businesses in our area.
Local Chamber president, Peter Chirico, says he hopes that through the program, they will be able to curb the spread and continue to re-open our economy safely.
The tests will be distributed through participating chambers and boards of trades in Ontario. Businesses with 150 employees or less are welcome to participate and the goal is to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace, that might otherwise be missed, all while helping curb the spread in the workplace, at home, and throughout the community.
The Initiative builds upon the success of the program that was first successfully piloted in the Waterloo region by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Communitech, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. Through this pilot, the chambers have delivered over 300,000 kits to almost 3,000 businesses in the region.
“With vaccinations on the rise and case counts lowering, rapid testing is another critical part of curbing the spread of COVID-19, contributing to the safe reopening of our economy,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Interested SMEs can visit www.nbdcc.ca/rapid-antigen-screening-program to learn more about the program, register and order their two-week supply of rapid tests.
“As the indispensable partner of business, we are proud that many of our member chambers of commerce and boards of trade, including the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce, are offering this program, distributing rapid tests to small and local businesses across the province” added Rossi.
