A new twist is coming for the COVID-19 assessment centres in the Quinte area over the next couple of weeks.
At the virtual meeting of Hastings County Council on Thursday, Mayor of Tweed Jo-Anne Albert raised the issue saying she felt the central area had “been left out “when it came to the testing for the coronavirus.
Albert pointed out many people in the area want to get tested but can’t get to the centres in Belleville, Quinte West or Bancroft.
It was noted testing had increased following Premier Doug Ford’s announcement that everyone could get tested.
Chief of Paramedic Services Doug Socha says the plan is to have mobile assessment pop-ups in the central area.
“So we were ready to do that this week and then with the announcement from the Premier, we saw quite an influx over the last few days.
Absolutely it’s still on our radar and we absolutely will plan to do that.”
Socha noted the paramedics have done 2,782 swab tests for COVID-19 as of Thursday morning.
Centre Hastings Mayor Tom Deline also commented, “The central part of Hastings County is 60% of the population of the county…I know Jo-Anne’s feeling there. Her people are feeling the same as my people. Feeling a little bit left out on this. I think that it’s time, and not just our own service. I don’t mean just from our own service, but from whoever is doing this, the Health Unit, BGH whoever is structuring the system here. They need to take a really good look and not leave a big part of this county out of this equation.”
