Ontarians hoping to pick up a free COVID-19 rapid test kit from Walmart, which is only available from the company online, will have to make a minimum purchase of at least $35 before they get one.
The Ontario government announced Wednesday it will make about 5.5 million tests available across the province each week at grocery stores and pharmacies. The announcement was made at a Walmart location in Kitchener.
At least 2,406 sites are participating in the program, including 2,385 pharmacy and grocery locations and 21 "high priority community lead agencies" for 17 vulnerable neighbourhoods.
The tests at grocery stores and pharmacies will be made available as of Feb. 9 through online order or in-store pickup.
Retailers participating in the program include Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Metro, Rexall, Sobey’s, Longo’s, and Walmart.
At Walmart, COVID-19 rapid tests will only be available for pick-up with online orders.
According to Walmart, customers who place a grocery pickup order will receive one free COVID-19 rapid antigen test kit with their order.
But in order to place an online order and get a free test kit, Ontarians must spend a minimum of $35.
On Wednesday evening, Ontario Premier Doug Ford published a tweet in response toxjmtzyw the mandatory purchase policy.
“Free means free,” he wrote. “We’re providing [rapid tests] free of charge and all participating partners are expected to honour that — no minimums or mandatory purchase.”
“If they don’t, we’ll give them to retailers or pharmacies that will.”
Free means free.
We’re providing #RapidTests free of charge and all participating partners are expected to honour that — no minimums or mandatory purchase.
If they don’t, we’ll give them to retailers or pharmacies that will.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 9, 2022
NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh also issued a statement, saying that rapid tests “are not a promotional item to help multi-billion dollar big-box empires draw more customers in.”
"This is a tool in the fight against COVID-19. Not a prize in the bottom of the cereal box,” she said. "What we need is free access to an important health care tool. Not free-with-minimum-purchase."
When asked about the issue, the Ministry of Health told CTV news Toronto that individual retailers have the ability to determine how the tests are distributed.
CTV News Toronto asked Walmart about the minimum purchase amount to qualify for a free test kit.
"We’re proud to step up and do our part to ensure more people in Ontario have access to Rapid Antigen Tests," the company said Wednesday.
"After careful consideration, we will be distributing the Rapid Antigen Test kits through our online pick-up service, similar to other retailers. We feel this is a safe and efficient way to distribute the limited supply broadly to the general public."
CTV News Toronto has contacted Longo’s, another Ontario store only handing out rapid tests with online orders, to see if they have a minimum purchase. No response was given by time of publishing.
Other companies in Ontario, like Rexall, will be handing out COVID-19 rapid tests at cash registers on a first-come, first-serve basis. No purchase is required.
Click here for a full list on where to find a free COVID-19 rapid test.
