COVID-19 puts pressure on paramedic services
The Hastings-Quinte Emergency Services has been working full out on the Covid-19 file since the first plane landed at CFB Trenton with cruise ship passengers to go into isolation.
At Thursday’s meeting of Hastings County Council, Chief of Paramedics Doug Socha reported on the work of his department during the pandemic.
He said that work began right from the beginning with the five flights into CFB Trenton, over 900 passengers and 13 positive cases of COVID-19.
He indicated the quarantine significantly stopped the spread across Canada.
Socha announced that the community paramedic program has been expanded in partnership with public health.
They are actively “screening and swabbing patients of interest” that public health has asked them to do.
New centres will soon be opened for that purpose.
The public will soon start to see COVID-19 “assessment centres” set up across the Quinte area.
Socha noted his department has an adequate stock of personal protection equipment at this time.
The emergency services department is involved with local regional and provincial planning groups.
Socha said “it’s been very, very stressful to maintain the operations that are in place” and there is a need “to protect staff ” so they can deliver medical services.
Director of Hastings Community and Human Services, Erin Rivers (File photo: Mary Thomas/
Quinte News)
COVID-19 restrictions place demand on social services
The Hastings County social services department is dealing with increased demand for services in the face of COVID-19.
At the Thursday meeting, Director of Community and Human Services Erin Rivers told county council about the department’s priorities, including applications for Ontario Works, emergency assistance for housing and special benefits.
The county building is closed to the public under provincial pandemic rules, and the social services department is managing case loads by phone, texting software and emails.
Rivers noted that the children’s services department is preparing a plan to submit to the Ministry of Education by March 30 that will support the provision of emergency child care for emergency workers.
