OLDS — As of Sept. 1, anyone in Alberta who has no symptoms for COVID-19 can be tested for the disease at Loblaws pharmacies, including Shoppers Drug Mart and in No Frills (both of which are owned by Loblaws).
But the Shoppers Drug Mart in Olds is well ahead of that deadline.
Asymptomatic testing for the virus has been underway for more than a week there and has gone well, according to Shoppers franchise owner Paul Gustafson.
He declined to specify how many people have taken the test but said business in that regard has been “steady;” mostly teachers.
So far, it’s unclear what the situation is in the Olds No Frills pharmacy. Patryk Sroka, who owns the franchise, could not be reached for comment by press time.
The arrangement to test asymptomatic people for the virus was announced last week.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, had called for all teachers and staff to be tested before heading back to the classroom in September.
In an interview, Gustafson said those who are considering having the test done should go online to the Alberta COVID website and fill out the self assessment piece posted there before contacting his pharmacy.
"If you get to the point at the end where it says you're really good, you're good to go, would you like an asymptomatic test? Then you can pick up the phone and book an appointment," Gustafson said, adding there are priorities for these tests.
"These are people -- like teachers -- who want to make sure that they're safe for their students. These are people who want to go see their grandparents for the first time in months. They want to make sure they're safe before they go visit them. That's who this test is for," he said.
Gustafson said all costs for the test are being paid for by Alberta Health Services.
