'Public health and health of economy are interdependent': businesses getting rapid COVID-19 tests

Georgina Chamber providing free, self-screening kits for small and medium-sized businesses

Yorkregion.com
May 14, 2021
Amanda Persico

In partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the provincial and federal governments, the Georgina Chamber of commerce is providing rapid COVID-19 screening tests to local small- and medium-sized businesses.

The Georgina chamber has been a valuable resource for the business community, providing information and resources to help businesses navigate each step or change in regulation during the pandemic.

Through the Rapid Screening Initiative, businesses with 150 employees or less are provided free rapid antigen tests for employees.

“Public health and the health of our economy are interdependent,” said Georgina Chamber executive director Jennifer Anderson.

“It’s our hope, through this program, we’ll be able to curb the spread and reopen our local economy safely.”

The program is open to all small- and medium-sized businesses with 150 employees or less, including nonchamber member businesses as well.

The goal of the program is to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace that might otherwise be missed.

Initially, the program was piloted in the Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge areas, where local chambers delivered about 120,000 testing kits to about 1,400 businesses in the area, meaning up to 30,000 employees in essential workplaces received regular, twice-weekly testing.

“Rapid testing is one of the keyways to keep workplaces as safe as possible during the pandemic as we wait for vaccinations to roll out,” said Rocco Rossi, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

“(Rapid testing) will be an essential part of curbing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities so that we can get on the path to economic recovery faster.”

For more information, visit www.georginachamber.com/workplace-screening-kits.