Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Canada has received a first shipment of 100,000 rapid tests for COVID-19.
Anand confirmed the delivery of the ID Now kit, which can provide results in as little as 13 minutes on the spot where the patient is tested.
She said on Twitter that the country is on track to receive more than 2.5 million of the tests by the end of the year, and that delivery of a second rapid test, the Abbott Panbio, should begin to arrive shortly.
COVID-19 cases have continued to go up in many parts of the country, including 790 new cases in Ontario today and 1,072 in Quebec.
In Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister announced the province was hiking the fines for individuals and businesses who disregard public health orders aimed at stopping transmission of the virus.
Pallister said fines for individuals would rise from $486 to nearly $1,300, while businesses could see the previous penalty almost double to $5,000.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2020
