What is the accuracy of these screens?
The screening kits are highly accurate - in the range of 90% accurate.
How do we dispose of the waste?
The screen pad and vial (with the swab and buffering agent in) are technically considered hazardous waste. Some businesses may have the ability to dispose of this material safely. If not, then the Chamber has a disposal bin if you choose to utilize it, accessed when picking up a reorder.
How is the screening administered - through the nostril or mouth?
Rapid Antigen Screening is a nasal swab and not invasive. The swab must be inserted into each nostril 2 cm (1 inch) for 5 to 7 seconds, while ensuring the inside of the nostril is wiped by the swab for that time.
What is the reporting responsibility our business has with respect to the results of the screens?
When you ordered your screening kits, you agreed to terms and conditions that make you responsible for reporting all results of the screening kits in your possession. The data that is required to be reported is: total number of screens completed, total number of positive results, total number of negative results, and total number of inconclusive results. The reporting form is available online here.
How many staff can go to pick up and train for the screening kits and masks?
Due to safety protocols and capacity limits of our distribution centre, we are limiting in-person visits. Please send ONLY one person (it can be anyone) from your organization to pick up screening kits. Please arrive at the pickup time assigned to you.
Can I just drop in and pick up kits and masks for refills of my order?
To keep everyone safe, it is important that we keep the number of people onsite at any one time to a minimum to reduce the opportunity of close contact. You MUST wait until your confirmed pick up day and time. You will receive an email from communications@cwchamber.ca with your time/day confirmation.
If an employee has a positive or inconclusive result, what is the next step?
The guidelines have changed, and at this time, a positive result on a rapid antigen test does not need to be confirmed by a PCR test.
For step-by-step and up to date guidelines on what to do after a positive result, click here.
Your employee is required to follow all of Local Public Health authorities' directions .
Who can perform the screen on the employees?
The Ontario Government authorizes “self” screening for these kits. However, there is a requirement that screenings are supervised by a Screening Supervisor. The Screening Supervisor is the person who watched the training video when they picked up the initial order of screening kits and received the follow up email.
Employees must do their own screenings; no one should perform a screening on anyone else. The Screening Supervisor is present during the screenings to instruct employees and ensure the procedure is followed for an accurate result.
Can other people in the organization be trained to supervise the screening process?
At this point the Ministry of Health requires that a trained individual supervises the screening process. You will receive an email after your initial pick up, which will include a link to the training video. This video can be used as a refresher and/or train other supervisors.
What is the frequency we should be screening our employees?
The recommendation from public health is that all employees should be screened twice per week.
Some businesses may want to test their employees more frequently because of the setting or higher frequency of close contact. If that is the case for your business, please contact us at communications@cwchamber.ca and we will try to fulfill the order if possible. Providing screening kits to test more frequently will affect our supply and we will need notice in order to alert our supplier.
Conversely some businesses may want to test employees less frequently or may have a variety of employee schedules to consider. It is the responsibility of each business to determine frequency of screening. Please put the safety of your employees first, which will help to ensure you have a safe workplace.
Do these kits have an expiry date?
The screening kits do expire but the Ministry of Health has advised us that kits can be used safely and effectively for up to one year after the posted expiry date.
Do we only screen employees who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms?
No! In fact, anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms must be kept OUT of the workplace. You may choose to provide an individual kit for employees to have at home so that they can screen without putting others in the workplace at risk.
I am a consultant that works with clients on workplace safety. Can I order screening kits on behalf of my clients and screen their employees?
No. These screening kits are provided free of charge to small and medium sized businesses for their sole purpose. A designated employee must be assigned the responsibility of taking the supervisor training, ensuring proper screening processes are adhered to and reporting the results of the screening kits on behalf of the employer. While there are avenues available for third party vendors to purchase their own kits outside of this program to provide screening services, the Chamber’s program is intended to remain complimentary and direct to employer only.
Can I purchase extra kits so I can screen those I want to? If so, how much do the screening kits cost?
No. The screening kits are not for sale and we are not authorized to charge anyone for these kits. When making your initial order, you agreed to terms and conditions stipulating that you not sell or distribute these screening kits.
The value of the box of 25 kits is approximately $200 based on known retail information. The screening kits are expensive, and we are able to offer the kits at no cost to businesses because they are funded by the Federal and Provincial Governments.
I am a volunteer/employee for an organization and we have a number of volunteers that would like to meet regularly in-person. Can these kits be used for that purpose?
No. The screening kits are not to be used to validate or substantiate not following public health guidelines. The kits are not intended to be used to verify negative carriers so that restrictions issued by the province or local public health can be waived. Any person who screens presumptive negative, MUST continue to follow public health measures of distancing, washing their hands, wearing a mask properly, and adhering to public health gathering orders.
Some of our employees are required to travel for business. Can these screening kits validate them for travel?
No. While these screening kits are extremely reliable, they are not a tool for travel or usurping any Federal, Provincial or International guidelines.
I noticed there are two packages marked “Control Swabs” in each box of screening kits. What do we use them for?
Contained in each box of screening kits, you will find two “Control Swabs”; one of those swabs will produce a negative result and the other swab will produce a positive result. These control swabs are ONLY to be used for quality control purposes. If you are finding that the results of screening kits from a particular box are not showing up on the testing pads, then you can follow the process in the manual provided to do a quality control check of the pads by simply following the same testing regime. DO NOT SWAB ANYONE WITH THESE CONTROL SWABS; the swabs already have ingredients on them to produce results in the quality control process.
While the positive control swab will show positive for COVID-19, there is nothing on the swab that is infectious or that will pass COVID-19 to a person. It is a pre-loaded swab and should not be used for anything other than quality control, if required.
What do I do when an employee returns to work after self-isolating for a positive test?
Individuals who have previously been diagnosed with and cleared of COVID-19 infection may resume asymptomatic screening testing 30 days after their COVID-19 infection (i.e. 30 days after the date of their initial positive result). More here.
Where do I report my results and how often do I report them?
Please report your results at this link.
The frequency is up to you, but we require you to have reported on 75% off the kits you’ve received before you order more.
Some businesses report as they finish each box, others after each batch of tests. It depends on how and when you’re testing what works best for you.
Who can pick up the rapid tests at the pick-up appointment?
Anyone can pick up the tests from your organization. It does not have to be the program supervisor who picks them up.