some dentists in quebec are only now discovering they’re not eligible for pcr testing for covid-19 — resulting in shock, confusion and occasionally hundreds of dollars worth of private testing.
the province limited pcr testing to priority groups in january during the omicron wave, when the virus began spreading at an alarming rate and public health couldn’t keep up with demand. dentists practising in private clinics aren’t among prioritized groups, but given the nature of their work, some assumed they were — only to realize that’s not the case upon showing up to testing sites.
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but for private dental clinics, the ministry judged that guidelines in place to limit the spread of covid-19 are sufficient to avoid disruptions, according to the ordre des dentistes du québec (odq). it clarified the government directives surrounding priority groups — and how dentists fit into them — have existed since the start of the pandemic, and not just for pcr testing.
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