Free COVID-19 screening kits for small & medium businesses

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Oakville have joined forces to provide free self-screening kits to small and medium-sized businesses that employ up to 150 employees within the Town of Oakville.

The program’s goal is to identify asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, at home, and throughout the community.

“It has been a difficult and uncertain year for our business community. The free distribution of rapid screening tests will provide much-needed support to assist in the safe reopening of our local economy” says Oakville Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Drew Redden.

SMEs can visit www.oakvillechamber.com/rapidscreening/, and order a two-week supply of Abbott Panbio Antigen screening kits.

Employers are required to appoint a representative who will be responsible for supervising the self-screening process. Appointed supervisors are required to attend the initial pick-up in order to receive video training on testing supervision and safe disposal guidelines. The kits will be available for pick-up, by appointment only, at the former post office located at 193 Church St. in Oakville.  The site will open May 11^th and operate weekly Tuesday through Thursday, from 10am to 3pm.

SME’s are required to electronically submit screening results at www.oakvillechamber.com/rapidscreening after each test. Accumulated data will be reported to the appropriate government officials. It is recommended that staff be screened twice weekly.

In the event of a positive test, the employee is required to immediately leave the workplace and notify public health to arrange for a PCR Test at an approved Public Health Collection Site and await further instructions from Halton Region Public Health.

“In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community, the distribution of free self-screening kits is an important initiative to keep businesses open and help others to re-open. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce has been a part of my Economic Task Force since its inception last March and are a critical partner in helping our businesses through the pandemic and into recovery,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. “I encourage all eligible businesses to order their supply of kits.”