To provide an additional layer of protection against and variants including Omicron, Ontario is launching a holiday testing blitz to offer voluntary rapid antigen screening to individuals free of charge at pop-up sites across the province. This initiative is part of the government’s enhanced testing strategy to mitigate the increased risk of transmission over the holiday season.
Throughout December to mid-January, up to two million rapid tests will be provided free of charge at pop-up sites in high-traffic locations such as malls, retail settings, holiday markets, public libraries and transit hubs. Take-home rapid tests will also be available at select LCBO stores.
People without symptoms of or people who have not had recent exposure to someone with will be able to pick up a package of free tests from a pop-up site, while supplies last, or get a free test performed on-site.
Most sites will distribute free take-home rapid antigen test kits, and some will offer testing on-site. Every person that receives a package of tests or gets a test on-site will be provided with easy to understand information and resources about rapid antigen screening and 19 vaccination.
Rapid antigen tests for individuals
Anyone without symptoms or who has not recently been in contact with someone with is eligible to receive a free take-home rapid antigen test kit from a pop-up site or get a free test performed on-site as part of the government’s holiday testing blitz. You do not need an appointment to access a pop-up site. However, access to rapid antigen tests will be subject to available supply. At sites distributing tests, there is a limit of one test kit per person.
Rapid antigen tests cannot diagnose . Anyone who receives a package of tests to take home and gets a positive result must self-isolate and book a lab-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at a testing site to confirm the result. Any location that performs on-site rapid antigen screening will also offer a confirmatory PCR test for individuals who receive a positive antigen result.
If you need a test because you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of , find a testing location using the testing locations tool.
Rapid antigen holiday pop-up schedule
We are working with local partners, public health units and municipalities to determine specific pop-up sites based on local data and needs.
Rapid antigen tests are used as an additional screening tool only for asymptomatic individuals and not for diagnostic purposes. Do not visit these testing locations if you have symptoms of or have been exposed to a positive person.
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