The government of Quebec will itself procure 70 million rapid tests to distribute in the coming months throughout Quebec. However, he will have to wait for the green light from Health Canada before moving forward.
The Quebec company MedSup Medical has pledged to deliver 10 million self-tests this month, 20 million in February and March, 15 million in April and 5 million in May. The company will produce its first devices in China before repatriating its production to a factory in Montreal.
At this time, Health Canada has not authorized this screening product. In doing so, “the execution of the contract is conditional on obtaining authorizations,” the Ministry of Health and Social Services reported on Thursday.
In the event that the contract goes ahead, additional quantities could be added as an option in April and May, respectively 5 and 15 million rapid tests, if deemed necessary. These quantities are in addition to the 31.5 million devices promised by Ottawa for the month of January.
In interview with The dutyLast week, the director general of the executive and operational management of the pandemic in Quebec, Daniel Paré, said he wanted to make bulk test purchases due to the lack of predictability of federal deliveries, he hammered.
Federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos also agrees that he has difficulty predicting how many tests will be delivered due to strong global demand.
Rapid tests suddenly became an important screening tool in Quebec at the start of winter. Since last week, the PCR tests analyzed in the laboratory have been reserved for health and education personnel. The general population must turn to rapid tests, which are trickling down to pharmacies.
With The Canadian Press