COVID-19 test wait times not a risk: Oglaza

Public health officials in the Quinte area are working on getting early COVID-19 test results but are not concerned that any wait-times are putting people at risk.

In a media scrum following a teleconference of the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health on Wednesday, Dr. Pior Oglaza emphasized that all individuals who are undergoing  COVID-19 testing here are being asked to self-isolate while they are waiting for their test results.

Oglaza emphasized that the extended period of time that it might take for test results to come back would not put other people at risk.”The extended period of time that it might take for the test results to come back would not put new people at risk. But in terms of the contact tracing, it is initiated once the case is confirmed by the lab report. Then we go back in time and connect with that individual and look at their contacts. ”

He is not aware it is a problem in this area.

“In our area I’m not aware of that creating a problem. I know that it is something that has been mentioned on the news and is a concern perhaps in other jurisdictions but so far with the levels of these activities in our area, the number of low case counts.  It is not something that significantly increases the risk.”

He said it is being monitored.

Oglaza added, “It’s a very valid concern issue and is something that is certainly an issue across province…We’re meeting the provincial guidance on that. The goal for provincial guidance is that contact tracing is completed within 48 hours. That’s 2 days.”

“I’ve not been made aware we have not been able to meet that timeline. so my understanding is that all of them would be that all of them would be communicated or contacted within 48 hours.”

Oglaza did tell Quinte News that the recent increase in cases in the Quinte area were “not a major concern,” that there had been “more than that before.” (earlier in the pandemic)

(Latest number eight active cases, 60 since the pandemic began)