Red Cross helps provincial fire rangers keep COVID-19 at bay with rapid testing
The Red Cross is running a new program aimed at protecting forest fire rangers throughout northern Ontario from COVID-19 this summer.
It involves offering COVID-19 rapid tests to firefighters at 18 different sites so they can do their jobs knowing they are not at risk of spreading the virus among their colleagues.
At the request of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Red Cross is conducting COVID-19 rapid tests on consenting fire rangers. The initiative launched two weeks ago.
“Fire teams are ... on aircrafts; they’re in vehicles together; they’re also sharing communal base camps, so social distancing can be challenging at times," said Tyler Beaton, an operations manager of the testing location at Cochrane Fire Management Headquarters in Cochrane.
Beaton said the Red Cross has the potential to test people at least twice a week. Results come in about 15 minutes and then the MNRF employees are on their way.
"Each (Red Cross) team has the capacity to do approximately 70 to 80 tests per day," said Beaton.
To date, 750 tests have been conducted.
A media relations specialist with the MNRF told CTV News that most of the forest fire activity is happening west of Thunder Bay, with 69 active fires as of July 8.
Isabelle Chenard said six are being held in the northeast, including four in the Cochrane area, and the others in the Kirkland Lake and Wawa districts.
She said so far this year, Ontario has had 541 forest fires, well above the 10-year average.
“For this year, to date, we have over 112,000 hectares burnt and if you look at the 10-year average (it's) 120,000 hectares," Chenard said.
With all that activity, the hope is the rapid testing might catch asymptotic COVID-19 cases to prevent potential outbreaks that would make it difficult for the province to replace its skilled employees.
The province hires around 750 fire rangers every summer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.