Timmins Chamber ready to re-stock businesses with rapid antigen screening kits to test for COVID symptoms
Officials with the Timmins Chamber of Commerce say they have a fresh supply of rapid antigen screening kits available to businesses throughout the region with less than one-hundred and fifty employees.
Since May, Rob Knox, the Chamber president said over fifty-thousand tests to approximately three-hundred and twenty-five businesses have been distributed, including to places such as Matheson and Moosonee.
“And in that time there’s been at least a dozen positive tests that have allowed businesses to react and pivot and work safely and we think overall it’s been a great success," he said.
Lisa Tremblay, an owner at Discover Fitness-Discover Performance said the test kits give her peace of mind.
“You know that safer that you can be the better it is right? Small business has suffered tremendously throughout COVID and closures. Any little extra step that we can do as a business to try and keep COVID out or at bay is a plus and the fact that the Chamber provided this initiative is fantastic.
Knox said the kits containing around two dozen nasal testing swabs, are four-hundred dollars, but businesses don't have to pay for them. He said the cost is primarily shouldered by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and local chambers and sponsors.
“Given the cost of the testing might have proved onerous for a small business and they may have gone without testing so ... the Chamber believes this is a prudent thing to do to help small businesses and also to prevent further spreading of the virus.”
Business owners can request kits from the Chamber. They are required to assign a screening supervisor to take care of the testing and submitting results to the Chamber who forwards those to health officials.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.