'Very manageable': Steady demand for rapid COVID-19 tests in Waterloo Region

Pharmacists in Waterloo Region say the demand for rapid testing kits has been steady since Wednesday, but is not nearly as drastic as the last time kits were handed out for free in January.

Patty Vamvakitis, pharmacist and owner of Carriage Crossing Pharmacy in Waterloo, said she has received consistent calls about the kits, but no one has tried to pick up more than what’s available and people seem to be respecting the one per household rule.

• MAP: Where to find a rapid test kit in Waterloo Region

“Steady phone calls, a steady stream of people coming in, but it's been very manageable,” Vamvakitis said. “It’s steady, but it's not as frantic as it was before the holidays, obviously, with people having either Christmas parties or wanting to get together with family members.”

The Carriage Crossing Pharmacy received about 300 kits, containing five tests, in the first shipment. Vamvakitis expects similar shipments to arrive every week on each Wednesday.

The Pharmacy on King in Kitchener has had a few people ask for extra boxes, but they are understanding when they are explained the rule.

“They're pretty reasonable when we tell them we can only do one box per person. They understand that there is a high demand and that there's nothing else we can do about it,” Hardeep Gill, a pharmacist at Pharmacy on King, said.

According to Gill, available supply will depend on the demand, but he expects to receive weekly shipments as well.

“It hasn't been too overwhelming yet, but I feel like it's all word of mouth,” Gill said.

According to Vamvakitis, the kits also come with information on when to test and what to do with the results.

“People really should be testing when they're symptomatic. Otherwise, they may not be able to trust the test results. So, if you are symptomatic and you get a negative test, you should probably check again in 48 hours if your symptoms aren't resolving,” Vamvakitis said.