Thank you.
We're pleased to see that Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 antiviral pill has just been approved for use in Canada. We know that this treatment is expected to cut pressure on the health care system because it can help prevent high-risk people from ending up in hospital. However, we also know it must be given within five days of the first discovery of infection and that patients have to test positive to access the treatment and get a prescription from a doctor.
Given Canada's current shortage of rapid tests and slow return times for PCR tests, what steps, if any, is the federal government taking to ensure patients can get test results and a prescription within that five-day window?