As of Tuesday (March 15) British Columbians aged 40 and over can access free rapid antigen test kits through their local pharmacy.
This is the latest age cohort to access the free tests, which began with people aged 70 and over on Feb. 25. At the time, the province said they were working to expand the program as more supply became available.
To access a free test kit, individuals must present their personal health number. Each kit contains five tests and only one kit can be accessed within a 28-day period. Test kits can be picked up on behalf of someone else, however, pharmacists will require the personal health number, name and date of birth of that person.
The province recommends picking up test kits before any COVID exposure to be used at a future time. The tests should be used for symptomatic individuals only.
As of March 15, seven million tests have been shipped to pharmacy distributors with 1.86 million rapid tests dispensed through more than 1,300 participating pharmacies. Four million more rapid tests are on their way to B.C. in the coming weeks and the province hopes to further expand access to testing.
READ MORE: B.C. pharmacies to distribute free rapid tests for people aged 70 and over
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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