Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Use of rapid COVID−19 testing in Ontario’s schools, long−term care homes and essential workplaces will be expanded in the coming weeks, the government said Friday.

The move comes at a time when students are returning to schools for in−person learning and the province is gradually reopening the economy after an emergency order expired earlier this week.

Once the program has ramped up, health officials say they expect to have one million rapid tests distributed every week.

Premier Doug Ford said the tests will provide results in a matter of minutes.

"It’s important to get them out the door as quickly as possible to provide an added layer of protection for our front−line workers and vulnerable citizens, especially those in rural and remote areas of the province," Ford said in a statement.

The expansion comes amid growing concerns about COVID−19 variants, which experts have warned are more transmissible and could derail progress made to contain virus spread.

The province said Friday it has received six million rapid antigen tests since November, and has distributed approximately two million.

Health officials said the timeline for ramped up rapid testing would depend on how many tests Ontario would secure through the federal government.

So far, the province says it has distributed over 900,000 rapid tests to 455 long−term care homes and anticipates weekly demand in the homes will be for approximately 385,000 tests.

Approximately 220,000 have been distributed to 152 retirement homes, with anticipated demand for 118,000 tests a week.

The government said it has also provided 170,000 rapid tests to 30 industry sites like Ontario Power Generation, construction firm Ellis Don and manufacturer Bombardier Aviation. The weekly demand for tests in essential workplaces is anticipated to be 300,000.

The province has already said it plans to conduct 50,000 tests a week in its schools, with half of them being rapid tests.

Officials expect to have rapid testing in place in Toronto, Peel and York Region schools when they reopen next week.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s top doctor has said the government will announce on Friday which categories of its COVID−19 restrictions system some regions will fall into when they begin to reopen next week.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams has said the decisions will be made based on local virus case rates.

The province began a gradual reopening of its economy Wednesday by lifting the stay−at−home order for three regions with low cases.

The rest of the province, except for three hot spots in the Greater Toronto Area, is set to have the order lifted next week when it transitions back to the colour−coded restrictions system.

Toronto, Peel Region and York Region are set to remain under the stay−at−home order until at least Feb. 22.

The government has warned that a sudden spike in cases could delay the reopening of any region in the province.

Ontario reported 1,076 new cases of COVID−19 on Friday and 18 more deaths linked to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said there are 361 new cases in Toronto, 210 in Peel Region, and 122 in York Region.

(C) The Canadian Press