Hamilton students are taking COVID-19 rapid test kits home for Christmas

Hamilton's public and Catholic school boards are notifying families this week that their children will be given COVID-19 rapid antigen screening kits to take home for the holidays.

Ontario is aiming to prevent the spread of the virus over the winter break by sending the kits home with every student. However, participation is voluntary and students of families who choose to opt out will be able to return to classrooms after the break.

Mirette Kamel, the mother of two students in Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWDSB), said the tests are a good idea.

"I am actually comfortable administering the test for my kids at home because I think it's a good thing in case kids have it and they don't show any symptoms,'' she said.

''I don't see a reason why we shouldn't participate in this. It's a good way to help with the situation we're in. We're all in this together, so if there's anything we can do to help with preventing the infection I will definitely do it. I will opt in for sure."

The board said that by Friday, every participating student will have received kits that can be administered at home.

"Rapid antigen screening kits are only to be used when a child is asymptomatic," the board said on its website.

Those who choose to do them should administer five tests starting Dec. 23, once every three to four days during the break, on Mondays and Thursdays. 

Shawn McKillop, the board's manager of communications, said the HWDSB is sending out more than 49,000 kits.

Kamel said the test is "very straightforward and very easy to use."

Not previously recommended

"The instructions are very clear, as simple as you swab the nose and you just put [the swab] in a solution, and in 15 minutes, you get the result," she said.

The move is a change from October, when the province's website said tests for fully vaccinated people weren't recommended "given the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines as well as the risks posed to the disruption of learning as a result of false positives."

COVID-19 cases are climbing in Hamilton and Ontario, partly because of the Omicron variant.

Ontario reported 1,429 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and Hamilton 44.

Peter Jüni, scientific director of the Ontario Science Table, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that Omicron will likely replace Delta sometime this week as the variant responsible for the majority of new cases.