Yesterday’s announcement from Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) that Muskoka’s only COVID-19 assessment centre will be located in Bracebridge after August 28 is not sitting well with Mayor Karin Terziano and members of Huntsville Council.
“[I’ve] certainly relayed our displeasure with that decision,” said Terziano during today’s general committee meeting. “We met with [MAHC] yesterday and tried to find a way to have one in Huntsville. There seems to be no way to have one in Huntsville. At this point we are working with the District to see if we can get some paramedic drive-through testing or maybe even inside testing as the weather turns on us.”
Update August 27: Jeff McWilliam, chief, paramedic services and emergency planning for the District, said in an email to Huntsville Doppler that “The District of Muskoka, through Muskoka Paramedic Services, will continue to deliver community testing into the fall, in collaboration with MAHC and the Family Health Teams, while we explore alternative year-round testing delivery options.” Paramedics have been conducting drive-through testing at locations throughout Muskoka since late June.
Terziano expressed concern about residents who “just don’t have access to travel to Bracebridge if they need a COVID test. We have…senior people who have spouses in old age homes and they need to be tested to visit their loved ones. If they have to get to Bracebridge to get a test to do that, it’s not very convenient.”
Councillor Tim Withey called the decision “outrageous”, particularly giving that it coincides with the start of the school year and leading into flu season. “I think we’ve got to really push against this decision at the highest levels, right up to the premier if we have to. The whole push is for more testing and to make this decision is outrageous.”
Mayor Terziano said the issue boils down to staffing, and said that in a meeting with MAHC she was told that “if their staffing model becomes worse they will not run one in Bracebridge either. They are looking for decentralized test centres and I’m not sure how close they think close enough is for us right now. It’s most definitely a problem for our community and certainly the communities to the north of us and the east of us. We are going to keep pushing for at least paramedic coverage here until we can get somebody from the province to weigh in on this.”
The possibility of two part-time centres, one in Huntsville and one in Bracebridge, was raised, she added, but “they said no, they couldn’t cross staff over between the two sites. We even said we would provide the space at no cost to them. They say it’s not a dollar and cents issue, it’s strictly staffing and there seems to be no real willingness to explore it further.”
Councillor Jason FitzGerald asked about the continuation of drive-through testing by community paramedics.
“At District we passed a resolution last month to continue with the drive-through testing to the end of the year,” replied Terziano, “but their problem is going to be of location now as well. We are working with the District on that and anything we can do, obviously, as a municipality we are going to do to provide that.”
Councillor Jonathan Wiebe suggested reaching out to municipalities to the north of Huntsville who are also impacted by this decision to present a united front, while Councillor Thompson suggested that MP Scott Aitchison could speak with the premier about the matter.
In the meantime, Terziano suggested that residents who have concerns about the model should contact MPP Norm Miller’s office to complain.
This post was updated on August 27 to include comment from Jeff McWilliam, chief, paramedic services and emergency planning for the District of Muskoka.
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If budget and staffing are a problem with this issue, how much of a problem do you think that a predictable lockdown would be to business, schools and the people of Huntsville??? The accessible testing and following the set protocol is very necessary to help control the spread. How realistic is the protocol set for the opening of schools?? Continual past budget cuts to health care and education, have come back to haunt us!!
Patricia Boon, Huntsville
I think we need to see our council jumping on this now to get this turned around quickly. Contacting our MPP should be done for sure, ( he lives in Bracebridge by the way) but it’s council’s job to represent our interests at the district level; we need to hear and see action from them. MAHC needs to reconsider its decision and make the necessary changes in the budget/funding in order to meet all of its communities needs, not just Bracebridge. With our kids and teachers going back to school, easy access to Covid-19 testing is crucial and must be a priority. I would suggest that having just one assessment centre is very short sighted and from a risk management point of view it demonstrates poor planning by MAHC. To expect that Huntsville and others in Muskoka would not push back and voice their displeasure is wishful thinking. Find the money, make the necessary budget adjustments to staff an assessment centre in Huntsville as well. We demand equitable access to this essential service.
What an outrage, is right.
Effective contact- tracing and follow-up of outbreaks requires accessible testing.
For people who live in Huntsville, Bracebridge is not easily accessible.
Lets not forget that MAHC serves two communities, not just one.
Maybe it’s time to de-amalgamate.
What an outrage!
As a senior with a family member living in Chartwell Muskoka Traditions I can’t go to Bracebridge for a Covid19 test !
With flu season around the corner, schools opening and a possible second wave, we need testing availability to continue in Huntsville! I agree also that this might not bode well for future talks about a 2 hospital system up here – this community needs to continue having a Huntsville hospital. Having just one testing centre in Bracebridge is also simply not convenient for some people, and will mean potentially that some people do not bother to get tested, while the virus continues. Yes I hope Scott Aitchison speaks to Doug Ford about this, and contacting Norm Miller’s office is a good idea as well.
I think they should have delayed this until after school started. Maybe November. Doug Ford spoke of Shoppers Drug Mart doing testing.
Could testing be done at the paramedic station on Hanes Rd?
Oh boy! Let’s hope that this is not just the first step in the former “favour Bracebridge at all costs” scenario. It won’t look good when the pros and cons of the two-hospital model are discussed.
Vis-a-vis contacting Norm Miller: with respect, the Town would have done this (instead of turning to MAHC) if they felt that it would yield results. Even though healthcare is a provincial responsibility, I agree with Councillor Thompson that having Mr. Aitchison speak with Premier Ford is the better avenue.
as we enter flu season and a possible second wave we should be increasing testing not cutting back !
Come on! Testing and contact tracing are the very heart of efforts to contain this virus. We should be expanding, not contracting the testing availability! Especially with kids returning to school… teachers and support staff should be tested often, if not daily.
And…why can’t we get the “spit in the cup” test approved here? The NBA and NHL can get it, why can’t we access this much easier, cheaper, etc. test?