CEO of the Northern Health Region, Helga Bryant explains the reporting process to provide clarification.  She says the minute that positive results land in the message box of public health either one of their MLHs or their Public Health Nurses immediately connect with the case and begin to do the contact tracing so that can sometimes go on even for two or three days before there’s even a formal report because the important thing is to ensure the case and the contacts are interviewed and that they are supported.

Bryant said positive rapid response or point of care testing results are considered presumptive positives only until they are confirmed by Cadham Laboratory in Winnipeg.

That process can take a matter of a few days, depending on how quickly the tests can be transported to the Lab.