Omicron, holidays, lead to surge in rapid test buying in B.C.

There’s plenty to learn about the Omicron variant, and we still need to be careful. It’s the takeaway message from Dr. Bonnie Henry as many prepare to enjoy the holidays with COVID still in our midst.

By Claire Fenton and Monika Gul

Posted December 14, 2021 7:55 am.

Last Updated December 14, 2021 6:50 pm.

Calls have been growing to make COVID-19 rapid testing kits available to everyone in B.C. for free.

It’s a move other provinces have adopted, and critics have questioned why B.C. has resisted rolling out rapid tests.

But British Columbians are still getting their hands on testing kits, they’re just having to pay for it.

Jessica Braun with the Canadian Shield, which sells the tests online, says they’ve seen a big jump in demand.

“Currently we are sending out about 10,000 rapid tests to B.C. almost every week and that rate is quickly increasing and we see it getting much larger in time for the holidays,” Braun said.

The company only started selling its antigen tests in October, but in recent days there’s been a major shift.

“When we started selling rapid tests we saw a pretty steady demand across the country for the tests, ordering online through our website, but within the past – I would say week and a half two weeks we’ve seen a large increase in demand both from B.C., Ontario, all over Canada,” she said.

Among the reasons for the push: Omicron, and the upcoming Christmas season.

“I think the Omicron variant is very scary on the horizon and people are looking to be prepared and protect themselves. I think the other part of it is kids being in school. And also leading up to the holidays, people want to see friends, see family, do some shopping,” she said.

The kits are not as accurate as a molecular test, and if a person tests positive they will then have to get a second test such as a PCR test.

But Braun says the rapid tests are quick, convenient, and gives peace of mind.

The tests cost around $10 each, so using them frequently adds up financially.

Many ask why residents should pay for the tests when the province has millions sitting in storage which could be give out for free.

A petition calling for the province to provide no cost COVID-19 rapid tests to every household has received more than 13,000 signatures as of Tuesday morning.

B.C. does have access to 3.2 million testing kits, but fewer than 10 per cent have been used.

Compared to Ontario, which has received 31 million kits, and used more than 30 per cent of them.