Two new tests for COVID-19 receive federal approval

OTTAWA • As COVID-19 cases in Canada continue to rise, Health Minister Patty Hajdu has a signed an interim order to approve two new diagnostic test kits to allow provincial labs to get results back more quickly.

“This Interim Order will help ensure quicker and more flexible approval of the importation and sale of medical devices that are necessary for Canada’s response to COVID-19, including test kits,” said a news release from Health Canada.

Meanwhile, provincial officials say they are working to bring down wait times as demand for tests increases.

“We have ramped up our lab capacity as significantly as possible, and will do more as we need to,” said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott on Wednesday. She said the province has more than 2,000 test results still pending, and hopes to soon be able to conduct 5,000 tests per day, up from about 1,000 now. Quebec has also said it hopes to test 5,000 per day soon.

As of Wednesday evening, Canada has reported 711 cases of COVID-19, and nine deaths associated with the disease. Quebec reported its first death on Wednesday, while Ontario has reported one and the rest are in British Columbia.

The highest number of reported cases are now in B.C. (231), Ontario (212) and Alberta

(119).

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer said at a briefing in Ottawa there are signals of community spread.

Canada has conducted more than 50,000 tests for COVID-19, and Tam said the government has procured 800,000 swabs for testing.

Tam said that for now, Canada has enough critical medical equipment to cope with the disease, such as ventilators.

QUICKER RESULTS