BC Has 1.3M COVID-19 Tests Sitting In A Warehouse Despite Its Top Doctor Calling It A 'Myth'
The rumour is confirmed.
It has been confirmed that there are more than 1 million unused rapid tests sitting in a warehouse in B.C., even though Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry assured the public that it was an "urban myth."
In a press conference on Tuesday, Henry responded to a question about the rumour that there were millions of unused rapid tests located in a warehouse somewhere. She dismissed the rumour right away.
"That's an urban myth, that there are millions of rapid tests in a warehouse somewhere," Henry said.
She also said that rapid tests have been available to long-term care facilities for months, and they have been used in many long-term care settings.
She added that over 100,000 rapid tests are being distributed as of last week to long-term care homes. They are to be used for visitors to get tested before coming into the homes.
There might not be millions of tests stored away, but there are 1,342,150 tests sitting in a warehouse, according to the Ministry of Health in a statement to CTV News.
In the statement, the ministry said that about 17 million more tests were on the way, coming from the federal government.
This comes after there have been reports of people waiting for hours in line to get a COVID-19 test.
B.C. recently reached its capacity for COVID-19 testing, and is now triaging tests for people who need them.
Due to the lack of tests, Henry said that if you have symptoms of COVID-19 you should assume you are positive and "take measures to avoid passing it on."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.