Over a hundred of mostly young people lined up in downtown Halifax on Wednesday afternoon. All were bundled up to weather the cold temperatures, and some held coffee cups to warm up. They weren’t lining up outside a grocery store to buy toilet paper; they were waiting for their turn to get a COVID-19 test.
Young people in the Halifax Regional Municipality are answering the call put out by the Department of Health and Wellness on Tuesday for those who are asymptomatic to receive a COVID-19 test.
"The majority of positive cases right now are in young adults from age 18 to 35 and they're contracting the virus from asymptomatic people in social settings," said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health in a news release.
This is where the province’s asymptomatic testing strategy plays an important role. Rapid testing is done at pop-up sites, and the location of the site could change every day.
“The intent of this effort is to test a particular age group,” said Marla MacInnis, a spokesperson with the Department of Health and Wellness, in an email.
“Locations are chosen in areas that target those in the most affected age demographic and those that have been in late-night licensed establishments over the last two weeks.”
Jesse Carter is one of those young people who came out to the pop-up testing site.
“It was fairly busy. You just sit down, give your phone number and then when they’re ready for you, they just do the swab in the nose.”
Lindsey Burges said the test is a little uncomfortable.
“It’s really super quick and then your eyes run a little bit,” said Burges. “For how many people it can save and what it can do to help slow the spread, I think it’s definitely worth it and it’s really not that big of a deal.”
Carter said results are ready within about half an hour after the test is done.
Long wait worth it
Starla Walton showed up outside the testing centre at the Richard Murray Design Building in downtown Halifax at 12:30 p.m. She waited in line for about an hour and a half before it was her turn.
“I’m a pretty active member of the community,” she said. “Before this had escalated recently, I was going to multiple gyms, … spending time with friends obviously within what was considered acceptable.”
“But with community spread, you just never really know.”
The testing process was smooth, but the swab took Walton by surprise.
“It just feels like when you get water in your nose when you’re at a pool, except, like, worse.”
Still, Walton said people shouldn’t let that stop them from getting tested.
“It’s not always necessarily about you, but it’s about keeping everyone safe.”
Madeline Shivgulam had been in line for a little over an hour but still had a good distance ahead to reach the testing site.
The line started at the testing site on Morris Street and continued around the Dalhousie electrical engineering building to the A.I. MacDonald building, then it wrapped around the Halifax Public Library on Queen Street.
Shivgulam is a student from Ontario and had three COVID-19 tests done when she came to Nova Scotia in September.
“It’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be,” said Shivgulam. “It’s like a needle, just like a little prick, but then it’s over.”
Who should get tested and where
Both Carter and Burges heard about the test from social media. On Instagram, accounts such as @studentsns and @halifaxnoise have shared the news. The only official source sharing information about the pop-up testing sites has been Dr. Lisa Barrett through her Twitter account.
Pop up free rapid COVID testing - for those with NO symptoms and have NOT been to a listed potential exposure site - happening NOW at 5257 Morris Street #knowyourstatus #popuptesting #covidtest pic.twitter.com/DdOGf6SLwt
— Lisa Barrett (@LisaBarrettID) November 24, 2020
MacInnis said the Department of Health and Wellness will be posting the time and location of upcoming pop-up testing sites on Twitter.
While the rapid tests are targeted at people aged 18-35, MacInnis said no one is being turned away.
Since rapid tests may not be accurate, those who have been to or worked at a bar or restaurant in the Halifax Regional Municipality over the past two weeks are advised to book a standard COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.
"Bar staff and patrons participating in the pop-up program should not use rapid testing as a replacement for the standard asymptomatic testing that is being made available to them, as announced yesterday," MacInnis said.
They can visit https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/en to schedule a test.
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms shouldn’t participate in the pop-up tests. MacInnis said people with symptoms should complete the online assessment or call 811 and schedule a COVID-19 test at one of the primary assessment centres.
Nebal Snan is a Local Journalism Initiatives reporter, a position funded by the federal government
