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MANITOBA CALLS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE BLOCK ON RAPID TEST FOR COVID-19

The Manitoba government is calling on the Government of Canada to reverse its ban on the direct sale to provinces of a new rapid test for COVID-19, Central Services Minister Reg Helwer announced today.  

“Our government is committed to increasing access to COVID-19 testing for Manitobans,” said Helwer. “We were pleased to learn that Health Canada had approved the Abbott ID NOW rapid test for use. Access to testing is top of mind for Manitobans, which is why our government attempted to place an order for these new tests within 24 hours of Health Canada’s announcement.”

When Manitoba officials contacted Abbott to place an order for the new ID NOW rapid test, they were informed the Government of Canada is blocking the sale of this test directly to provincial governments.

“This is a completely unacceptable action by the federal government,” added Helwer. “Although the federal government has secured its own supply, it has indicated that it will decide how that supply will be allocated. Provincial governments are the front-line providers of health care in this country and are best able to determine their own needs.”

The federal government’s actions are the latest in a series of clear examples where provincial needs are being disregarded, the minister said.

Earlier this year, an order of two million N95 masks placed by the Government of Manitoba was blocked by the U.S. government and redirected to Ottawa. Because of these federal seizures, Manitoba has only received a fraction of the quantities to which we were entitled, Helwer noted.

“The federal government has also cancelled funding for a program to help improve fibre-optic access in northern Manitoba,” said Helwer. “The cancellation of this $55-million federal commitment reinforces the importance of our government’s work to engage the thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable owned by Manitoba Hydro. This pandemic has reinforced the need for access to reliable internet, which is why the province of Manitoba is stepping up to connect rural and northern communities using a publicly owned asset that has sat idle for far too long.”

Premier Brian Pallister has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express Manitoba’s disappointment in the federal government blocking Manitoba’s access to an important tool to increase COVID-19 testing capacity. The premier is asking the prime minister to relieve immediately Abbott of any prohibitions on the sale of the ID NOW rapid test to Manitoba, which will enable the provincial government to make immediate arrangements for the purchase of sufficient testing machines and kits to meet the needs of Manitobans.

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