Access to free rapid tests extended to July

Ontarians will be able to pick up free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests at grocery stores and pharmacies for a little longer.

The province has extended the end date for a program that allows people to pick up free test kits at grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and more.

It will now end on July 31, 2022, Minister of Health Christine Elliott announced on Twitter on March 30. 

As an important tool that helps the province manage and live with #COVID19, Ontario will continue to provide free rapid antigen tests to the general public through existing channels.

This includes grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and more until at least July 31, 2022.

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) March 30, 2022

Free tests have been offered at grocery stores and pharmacies since early February after the province changed the guidelines for who can access the gold-standard PCR tests. The original rollout had the initiative lasting for at least eight weeks.

At the time, limiting the PCR testing was due to the system being overwhelmed with the Omicron wave of the pandemic, however, broad access to testing has not been reinstated. Experts are now saying the province is in a new sixth wave of the pandemic. 

March 21, when most public school students were returning from March break, the province lifted most of its mask mandates, including in schools. Students are also no longer required to stick to cohorts (the same grouping of students) in school. For businesses, passive screening and safety plans are no longer required.

All of the remaining masking requirements and directives are expected to lift April 27 when the final extension of the Reopening Ontario Act expires.

The full list of sites offering test kits is available here.