The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net 

 PEOPLE in New Providence will be able to get a free rapid antigen test through the government’s pilot testing programme starting tomorrow, according to Press Secretary Clint Watson.

 Mr Watson said people can register for the test at covidtest.gov.bs from today.

 The tests will be administered at the Kendal Isaacs Gym and the Melia hotel; the gym will be a drive-through site. People who are experiencing symptoms are asked to visit the South Beach Clinic for a free test.

 “Those of you who want to participate in testing, we encourage you to do that,” Mr Watson said. “If you’re not experiencing any conditions whatsoever, you go to those particular facilities for your free testing. For those of you who are having symptoms, you are going to do testing at the South Beach Clinic which will be open this week as well. That does not require prior registration like other sites.”

 PCR tests will be offered at the South Beach clinic to people who test positive with antigen tests.

 Mr Watson said people can only get a free test once per week, at which point their name will be flagged in the system.

“We don’t want people to be going back every day,” he said. “We don’t want people to be every day using it to be able to go have dinner somewhere and just get a free COVID test so you could have it with you.”

 Officials, he said, hope to provide about 400 tests a day.

 The free tests come amid concern that antigen tests are less sensitive at detecting the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

 Asked if officials are concerned the test could give people a false sense of security about their COVID-19 status, Mr Watson said: “There’s always that concern particularly with COVID-19. However, we believe if we start here we’re able to bring relief to a problem that’s been mushrooming. We’re happy we can start at this point to be able to ensure that Bahamians have some resolve. Sadly in this country a lot of people aren’t testing, haven’t tested for the last year and a half in this pandemic because they can’t afford it. We want to provide an avenue where people do not have to say ‘I did not test because I couldn’t afford a test’.”

 Mr Watson said the government is working with local firms to source the tests.

 “We asked companies if they were willing to work with us and what we can work with them as far as costing and that’s how we began this programme,” he said. “We’re going to extend it, we’re going to include more people, but this is just to see if this capacity that we have will work.”