Parent calls on province to provide at-home test kits for all children

A P.E.I.parent iscalling on the province to make at-home rapid test kits available to more people.

David Fleming worked from home Wednesdayas his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was home sick from daycare.

On Tuesday, the provincial government said students in kindergarten to Grade 6will soon get two tests each to take home.

That has parents like Fleming wondering why kids in daycare aren't included.

He and his partner err on the side of caution. Just a cough or runny nose is enough to keep his daughter home, he said.

"Instead of having to wait in line and go through the process of having a two-and-a-half-year-old waiting in a car for an hour, you're able to do it at home, make a decision quickly based on the information available to youand potentially not miss a day of work," Fleming said.

There willsoon be nearly 30,000 rapid at-home test kits heading to the Island that parents can use to quickly test kids showing symptoms.

But they're all reserved for students in elementary school, whichFleming can't understand.

"Especially given how difficult it is for kids of this age, who aren't masked, they can't adhere to public health anything, and we know what daycare looks like for every parent.It's a season that has a lot of symptoms that look a lot like COVID," he said.

"I question why each parent in P.E.I. wasn't given one test at least, instead of giving some parents two tests."

The Chief Public Health Office said Wednesday that it's targeting schools for now because that's where COVID-19outbreaks have occurred, and have had the biggest impact. But, it is working with the federal government to secure more at-home test kits.

The Early Childhood Development Association saysitis pushing forrapid tests for daycare staff.

"Even if they're fully vaccinated, if they come down with a cold, they're having to go wait at a clinic," said Jennifer Nangreaves, executive director of the association.

"We've heard from some members that it'd be great to have rapid tests, so they can wait that 15 minutes, and then they're good to continue to work, instead of having to go home and isolate."

Rapid tests were delivered to child-care centres this week, but just for unvaccinated staff,who now need to be tested three times a week.

The provincetold the ECDA it will let them know soon whether centres can count on more rapid testsfor anyone showing possible symptoms.