City of Brampton partners with RIC Centre and Communitech to slow spread of COVID-19 and restart local economy with rapid screening for small and medium businesses

BRAMPTON, ON (June 9, 2021) – Today, the City of Brampton announced that its Economic Development Office, in coordination with the Brampton Emergency Management Office, has partnered with RIC Centre and Communitech to provide small to medium-sized businesses in Brampton with free COVID-19 rapid screening kits. Dubbed StaySafe, the program will help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure a swift local economic recovery.

Rapid antigen screening is a quick way to help identify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases before they lead to workplace outbreaks. Identifying asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals early is an effective way of limiting spread within both workplaces and the community.  StaySafe provides access to rapid screening kits so that businesses can administer a workplace screening program.

StaySafe
Funded by the federal and provincial governments, the StaySafe program is free for all businesses with fewer than 150 employees who can’t work from home or physically distance while at work.

The rapid antigen point-of-care screening tests allow employees to test themselves before work and see the results of that test within minutes. If an employee tests positive, an employer can then send them to the nearest COVID testing centre for more conclusive testing without running the risk of exposing other employees to the virus.

The opportunity is open to Brampton organizations with 150 or fewer employees. Training and registration are required for participation in this program before picking up a first order. Organizations can learn more about the program and sign up here.

Businesses with over 150 employees can order directly from the Ontario government portal.

Economic Recovery
Under Step One of the Province’s Roadmap to Reopen, non-essential retail is permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold, and essential and other select retail is permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold. As businesses prepare to reopen, rapid antigen testing will not only help protect workers, but will also help Brampton residents feel confident entering local businesses.

Last year, Brampton City Council endorsed Brampton’s Economic Recovery Strategy as a framework for the City to move forward with restarting the local economy. The Economic Recovery Strategy aims to bring resiliency and competitive advantage to Brampton’s economy as it moves forward. The strategy is organized into four cornerstones: Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship, which includes better support for entrepreneurs and small businesses; Investment; Arts, Culture and Tourism; and Infrastructure. Learn more at www.brampton.ca

Click here for the full press release.