Once a week, Akin Guler goes to a meeting room in his office where one of his co-workers B次元官网网址� trained to administer rapid COVID-19 tests B次元官网网址� inserts a small swab into his nostril.

Within 15 minutes he has the result: One stripe is a negative result, two stripes positive.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like a pregnancy test,B次元官网网址� says Guler, channel sales manager at Rimot.io Inc., a Dartmouth, N.S., tech company. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really quick.B次元官网网址�

He adds: B次元官网网址淚 feel like this is a social responsibility. ItB次元官网网址檚 not only for me, itB次元官网网址檚 for all of us.B次元官网网址�

As workers return to office buildings and job sites across the country, some are being offered rapid COVID-19 tests at work.

The workplace testing program, led by Creative Destruction LabB次元官网网址檚 rapid screening consortium, is being rolled out across Canada in an effort to identify asymptomatic infections.

Those behind the project say it will help limit workplace outbreaks and possibly prevent future province-wide lockdowns, keeping the economy and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 corporate world open.

B次元官网网址淰accination is whatB次元官网网址檚 ultimately needed,B次元官网网址� says Jeff Larsen, CDLB次元官网网址檚 Atlantic site lead and executive director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Dalhousie University.

B次元官网网址淏ut until thereB次元官网网址檚 herd immunity from vaccines, if the virus starts to spread and we donB次元官网网址檛 know who has it, we have to go into lockdown,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲ith widespread testing and tracing solutions, we can be more targeted.B次元官网网址�

Some of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest employers like Air Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. and Loblaw Companies Ltd. joined a group piloting rapid COVID-19 testing earlier this year. The program is now being extended across the country, with very good uptake so far, Larsen said.

But in Nova Scotia, the uptake has been B次元官网网址渆xtraordinary,B次元官网网址� he said.

So far, 275 workplaces with more than 50,000 employees have agreed to participate B次元官网网址� nearly 10 per cent of Nova ScotiaB次元官网网址檚 workforce B次元官网网址� and another 400 employers are registered for the program. Some have signed up through CDL, while others have worked directly with the province.

The widespread workplace uptake in Nova Scotia reflects the provinceB次元官网网址檚 early adoption of rapid COVID-19 tests. While some provinces have been slower to use the rapid testing kits provided by the federal government, Nova Scotia began using them at pop-up testing sites last November.

Since then, the province has administered about 350,000 rapid tests, said Heather Fairbairn, a spokeswoman for the provincial Health Department.

While the quick diagnostic tests have faced scrutiny over accuracy, Nova Scotia has identified hundreds of asymptomatic cases using rapid tests: There have been 378 confirmed positive cases identified at pop-up testing sites since April 1, Fairbairn said.

Now the province is partnering with CDL, local chambers of commerce and seven Regional Enterprise Networks to offer workplace asymptomatic testing. Companies with more than 50 employees can sign up directly through the province, while those that are smaller work with CDL.

The provinceB次元官网网址檚 use of rapid screening has helped CDL reach more employers in Nova Scotia, Larsen said.

B次元官网网址淣ova Scotia has embraced community rapid testing, which has led to this positive uptake that weB次元官网网址檙e seeing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f we normalize it now in the workplace, we can keep the virus at bay and minimize the chances of having to lock down.B次元官网网址�

Larsen adds: B次元官网网址淚 think people have a sense that weB次元官网网址檙e in this together and these tools will make a difference.B次元官网网址�

For Trevor Hennigar, the chief operations officer at Rimot, offering rapid tests in the office is a way to help employees feel safe returning to in-person work. I mean

B次元官网网址淭his is a really effective way to help employees feel comfortable and confident about coming back into the workplace,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e also just want to do our part to stop the spread of this thing.B次元官网网址�

While Nova Scotians already have access to both drop-in rapid COVID-19 tests and pre-booked PCR (or polymerase chain reaction) tests, offering tests directly in the workplace helps eliminate barriers that might prevent workers from getting tested regularly on their own, Hennigar said.

B次元官网网址淲e want it to just be part of the work day,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not a dedicated trip or an extra stop. Making it convenient and accessible is really key.B次元官网网址�

While Rimot has made the rapid screening voluntary, Hennigar said itB次元官网网址檚 strongly encouraged and he expects that most if not all those returning to the office will participate.

Still, the rapid tests are just one of the safety measures Rimot is taking to curb COVID-19, he said.

The company also does a daily screening with workers using a kiosk it developed at the outset of the pandemic. ItB次元官网网址檚 equipped with a contactless screen and an automated questionnaire users answer using a foot pedal. It also has a thermal camera to do temperature checks and can detect face mask compliance.

B次元官网网址淭he rapid tests are just one of the tools were using to keep employees safe,B次元官网网址� Hennigar said, adding that given the significant cost of shutting down, the rapid tests and health screening measures not only keep people safe but also save money.

The rapid test kits used in the workplace screening program are paid for by the federal government and supplied to employers by the province, Fairbairn said.

The province also provides training and PPE, while employers agree to take on the cost of running the program, such as related human resource expenses and other safety measures.

The rapid antigen tests being used in Nova Scotia are the Abbott PanBio test, a lateral flow test, with a shallow nasal swab, she added in an email.

B次元官网网址淚t is a simple test that could be most closely compared to an at-home pregnancy test. The results appear as one line (negative) or two lines (positive) on the test cartridge.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press