MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                             June 9, 2021

Mississauga Board of Trade Ramps Up Deliveries of Rapid Test Kits to Small Businesses Provincewide

2.4 Million free rapid tests kits helping small business stay open and keep employees and their families safe through the help of local chambers of commerce and boards of trade

(Mississauga – June 9, 2021) –  Today, the Mississauga Board of Trade announced that the Ontario Chamber Network has supported the delivery of 2.4 million free rapid test kits in over 105 communities across the province through the COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ontario and Canadian governments.

Through this initiative, the Mississauga Board of Trade is rolling out free rapid tests for small- and medium-sized businesses in the Peel Region. The program is helping small businesses keep their employees and families safe by curbing the spread of COVID-19 at work so that we can get on the path to economic recovery faster.

“Chambers of commerce and boards of trade have been indispensable resources in their communities since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Public health and the health of our economy are interdependent. That is why our Mississauga Board of Trade is proud to distribute rapid tests to small businesses in Peel Region. We hope that through this program, we will be able to curb the spread and reopen our local economy safely,” said David Wojcik, President and CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade.

The COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative provides free rapid antigen tests for employees of small and medium-sized businesses. The tests are distributed through participating local chambers of commerce and boards of trade in Ontario. Businesses (including non-chamber members) with 150 employees or less are welcome to participate in this program. The goal of the program is to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace that might otherwise be missed, helping to curb the spread in the workplace, at home and around the community in Peel Region.

The Initiative builds upon the success of the program that was first successfully piloted in the Waterloo region by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Communitech, the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada. Through this pilot, the chambers have delivered 300,000 kits to almost 3,000 businesses in the region.

“With vaccinations on the rise and case counts lowering, rapid testing is another critical part of curbing the spread of COVID-19, contributing to the safe reopening of our economy. As the indispensable partner of business, we are incredibly proud of the Ontario Chamber Network that has quickly mobilized to put free rapid screening kits into the hands of small businesses across Ontario,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Interested SMEs can log into mbot.com/rapid-antigen-screening-kit to order their two-week supply of rapid tests.  The kits will be ready for pick-up at the sister building beside the Mississauga Board of Trade at 55 City Centre Dr, Mississauga, ON.

Click here to see which chambers and boards of trade are participating in the program to date. More chambers of commerce and boards of trade will be joining in the coming weeks.

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About the Mississauga Board of Trade

Since being established in 1961, MBOT has played an important leadership role serving and representing the interests of business of all sizes and sectors in our community.

Mississauga is Canada’s sixth largest city and third largest in Ontario – with a population of over 700,000 residents and more than 50,000 businesses employing over 440,000 people, including 60 Fortune 500 Canadian headquarters. Mississauga is where successful companies choose to do business.  MBOT’s large, diverse and active membership has made us one of the most vibrant business associations in Canada.

As the “Voice of Business” we advocate on policy issues that impact local business at all levels of government and are influential in helping to shape policy decisions. MBOT also offers a wide variety of valuable business services and professional development programs, networking events and marketing opportunities, to help business grow, prosper, and get connected.

Media Contact:

David Wojcik, Mississauga Board of Trade

ceo@mbot.com

905-273-3527