Hamilton doctor says PCR testing should be prioritized at schools, not border

An infectious diseases physician says people in high-risk settings such as schools should be prioritized to receive COVID-19 PCR tests rather than international travellers.

New school guidance from the Ontario government says take-home PCR self-collection kits will only be provided to elementary and secondary students as well as education staff who become symptomatic while at school. The Ministry of Health says PCR kits will not be provided to entire cohorts or school populations.

Meanwhile, the federal government is funding PCR tests for international travellers allowing for more than 20,000 daily arrival tests if needed.

“We have testing issues locally,” Dr. Zain Chagla said in an interview on Morning Live Friday. “People can’t get tested in time. We’re going to schools without rigorous testing.”

According to the latest government data, an estimated 104,596 vaccinated travellers were tested after arriving in Canada between Dec. 19 to Dec. 25. Of those swabbed, just over two per cent tested positive. 

Throughout that same week, about 19,154 unvaccinated travellers were tested, and only three per cent tested positive.

Chagla said those figures are not as concerning as the demand for local PCR testing needed for students, educators and healthcare staff, among other frontline workers.

“We should slow down border testing and work on making sure that places that need testing– where it’s going to affect patients– get testing,” Chagla said.

Totally agree. Vaccinated people getting asymptomatic testing over the border is pouring water on the dry grass when the house behind you is on fire.

Canada needs to drop travel testing, and focus on local testing. Period. https://t.co/RlQvuItCVY

— Zain Chagla (@zchagla) January 13, 2022

If the emphasis on arrival PCR testing for travellers does not change, Chagla said greater access to rapid antigen tests is needed for schools and other high-risk settings.

“Are rapid tests perfect? No, but a positive rapid test is probably something you can act on pretty quickly,” he said. “They can be used a bit more aggressively, especially knowing that PCR tests are hard to come by.”