At-home COVID-19 rapid test kits are now available. Here's how to get yours
Starting Friday, Albertans can pick up a free rapid COVID-19 test kit at select pharmacies and Alberta Health Services sites.
The kits, containing five tests, are intended to be used by asymptomatic Albertans over the holidays to make more informed decisions about their celebrations.
HERE'S HOW TO GET YOURS
The at-home kits are available for pick up starting Dec. 17.
Residents of Alberta's three largest cities – Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary – can get theirs at any pharmacy with available supply. A list of locations is available online. Edmonton has more than 500, Calgary 460-some, and Red Deer nearly 90 pharmacies with rapid test kits.
Residents outside of these major centres can get theirs at an AHS site. A list of participating clinics is also online.
NEED TO KNOW
Roughly 500,000 at-home test kits are being made available by the Alberta government on a first-come, first-served basis.
Albertans are limited to picking up one kit within a 14-day period.
You can pick up a kit for someone else who is unable to travel on their own if you have their health care number.
The recommended usage is two tests per week, 72 hours apart. Officials said they are especially beneficial when someone has had a recent COVID-19 exposure.
The tests are meant for at home personal use and regular screening; they will not be accepted by businesses and events participating in Alberta's Restrictions Exemptions Program.
Anyone who screens positive on a rapid test or has COVID-19 symptoms should book a PCR test through AHS and must isolate for 10 days or until they receive a negative PCR result.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.