Ontario Released A List Of Over 2K Grocery Stores & Pharmacies With Free Rapid Tests

Rapid antigen tests are about to be as common as picking up your groceries or a prescription from a pharmacy starting Wednesday.

The Ontario government has announced that 5.5 million free rapid antigen tests will be released weekly for the next eight weeks in pharmacies and grocery stores across Ontario starting February 9.

They will also be given to community partners to distribute in vulnerable communities.

Grocers, pharmacies and community partners will "have the ability to determine how tests are distributed in order to best serve the community, including through appointment bookings, at checkout or through online orders."

The free rapid antigen tests will be given out at over 2,300 grocery and pharmacy locations, including stores like Shoppers Drug Mart, Metro, Sobeys, Rexall, Loblaws, Longo's, Walmart and more across the province.

But before you head to your closet location, you may want to check their website for any specifics on how they will be disturbing tests.

For example, if you're looking to pick up a rapid test at Walmart, you'll need to order it online and in advance before picking it up in store.

Longo's has gone a similar online route, with their tests being available through Grocery Gateway.

Each household is limited to one box, which includes five rapid tests, so while they are more accessible than they previously were, you may not want to blow through them too fast.

To find your closest participating store, you can look it up on the Ontario government's website.

The government hopes the expanded availability of rapid tests for Ontarians will "help detect COVID‑19 earlier and stop the spread of the virus."

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.