Ontario to put $1B towards more COVID-19 testing and contact tracing

Premier Doug Ford has announced Ontario will be putting an additional $1 billion towards increasing COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.

Ford says they are ramping up testing to 50,000 processed a day and hiring an additional 500 contact tracers.

The new funding includes $70 million announced earlier this week to purchase additional flu shots.

On Wednesday, the government said that up to 60 pharmacies will begin offering COVID-19 tests to asymptomatic people starting Friday.

Other yet-to-be announced elements of the province’s plan will focus on quick identification, management and prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks.

The strategy will also address ways to reduce health service backlogs, prepare for case surges and recruit and train health-care workers.