First come, first serve free COVID-19 rapid test kits offered during holiday season

The rush is on as people try to get their hands on a free rapid COVID-19 test kit after the province announced it would supply two million free kits on a first-come-first-serve basis over the holiday season.

On Friday, select LCBO locations began distributing the kits.

LCBOs on Caplan Avenue and Bayfield Street in Barrie offered the screening kits, but many people said they arrived to get their take-home kits too late.

Susan Moen arrived at the Barrie LCBO around 10 a.m.

"I'm kind of frustrated, and I don't know if the store opened early or something, but they're gone," said Moen.

FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE

The free at-home kits are available while supplies last.

The province said it would post a rolling list of locations each Friday until mid-January.

Residents can get a rapid screening kit at high-traffic locations like malls, retail settings, holiday markets, public libraries and transit hubs.

There is a limit of one kit per person, but most sites will offer on-site testing.

On Sunday, the test kits will be handed out at the Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket during mall hours.

Additionally, the province supplied students at publicly-funded schools with five screening kits to be used over the holiday break.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE KITS

Individuals without COVID-19 symptoms who haven't been in contact with a positive case should use the rapid antigen kits.

The easy-to-use swab tests provide results in about 15 minutes, but shouldn't be used to diagnose COVID-19.

Anyone who screens positive on a rapid test or has COVID-19 symptoms should book a PCR test at a clinic and isolate for 10 days or until they receive a negative PCR result.

It's advised to take the screening test twice a week.

"A person can go from not being contagious to being very contagious in about two days. If you only test weekly, then you could easily be contagious for a few days without knowing it and be spreading the virus," stated the Simcoe Muskoka health unit's website.