Fast Pass Testing

Fast Pass sites offer a dedicated testing stream to teachers, educational support staff and other staff working in schools and directly with students. Fast Pass sites are also open to individuals working in licensed child care centres, nursery schools and family/group child care homes, including eligible early child development specialists or autism applied behaviour analysts/consultants throughout Manitoba.

In most cases eligible Fast Pass clients will be able to access their  test result on the same day of receiving a test.

Manitoba has three Fast Pass locations open for eligible individuals. Fast Pass clients are reminded to bring their identification and proof of employer when attending a Fast Pass site.

Fast Pass site appointments are available to:

• Staff working in Manitoba schools, including teachers, educational support staff and other staff working in schools and directly with students, including bus drivers, custodians and child care staff working in school-based early learning and child care facilities.
• Staff working in licensed centre-based child care facilities and child care providers or individuals working in licensed home-based facilities, including eligible early child development specialists or autism applied behaviour analysts/consultants.  .

Clients will be required to show identification and proof of employer at the time of their appointment.

Fast Pass sites operate using the Songbird Hyris bCUBE lab-based rapid test.  The device requires a stable environment and is not mobile.  Similar to other types of COVID-19 tests, clients will receive a deep nasal swab from a health care professional.  The specimen collected will then be run on the Songbird Hyris bCUBE testing platform and will take several hours to produce a result.

In most instances results will be available for clients on the Shared Health portal within about eight hours.

Individuals must present an identification card that includes their name and the name of their division, school or child care centre. Alternatively, individuals may present a letter with the individual's name on letterhead of the division, school, or child care centre. The letter can be presented hardcopy or electronically on a mobile device on site. Individuals will also be required to present government-issued photo ID and their Manitoba Health Card.

At this time the focus of Fast Pass sites is the school-based workforce and the licensed early learning and child care workforce.

No. At this time the focus of Fast Pass sites is the school-based workforce and the licensed early learning and child care workforce.

The Fast Pass pilot program uses the Songbird Hyris bCUBE lab-based rapid test. Fast Pass focuses on providing school and child-care staff a faster route to a result. This supports timely diagnosis and earlier contact tracing and notifications in our school community. It also provides Manitoba's school-based workforce and the licensed early learning and child care workforce with a dedicated testing stream in the event that the regular system becomes taxed.

The personal care home pilot program provides regular screening of staff working in pre-selected personal care homes. This supports surveillance and earlier awareness of COVID-19 outbreaks. Regular screening of staff helps to protect residents by allowing for rapid containment of outbreaks that can have severe outcomes in these settings. The pilot uses the Abbott PanBio rapid test to support these screening activities.

Symptomatic household members are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 at a regular test site. If a household member tests positive for COVID-19 you may still be deemed a close contact and be required to isolate and monitor for symptoms, even with a negative test result. Public health will provide guidance and advice based on your circumstance.

Yes, those eligible for the Fast Pass pilot program can also access another testing site. Fast Pass is another additional testing option for school staff.

Fast Pass clients who attend the site for diagnostic purposes because they are symptomatic will be required to isolate until a negative result is received. Fast Pass clients who are close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 must also isolate and follow public health advice, regardless of the outcome of their test result.

Fast Pass clients who attend for asymptomatic screening purposes and are not considered a close contact of a confirmed case, may continue with their usual day, unless they receive a positive result. Those who receive a positive result must isolate and follow public health advice.

For more information on isolation visit: https://manitoba.ca/asset_library/en/covid/factsheet-isolation-selfmonitoring-recoveringhome.pdf