One month after the Houston government’s new testing strategy came into effect, rural Nova Scotians are at a disadvantage with limited testing resources in their communities.

Unlike many other locations in Nova Scotia, Clare residents do not have a single rapid testing location in the riding. To be tested, residents must choose between two options: travel 45 minutes to the nearest testing site or pay up to forty-five dollars for a single test at the local pharmacy.

“After witnessing the challenges that our community has faced to get access to rapid tests, I reached out to the government numerous times, but to no avail,” says Clare MLA Ronnie LeBlanc. “We want to keep our communities safe, but the Houston government has made that very difficult for us without any access to tests.”

The Western Zone has the highest case counts per capita – exceeding the numbers in the Central Zone where rapid tests have been made readily available throughout the pandemic. Lower vaccination rates in the Western Zone also contribute to an increased need for testing in the area.

“With growing case counts here in the Western Zone, it’s more important now than ever to get tests in the hands of those in our community,” says LeBlanc.