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COVID-19 assessment centres will now offer testing by appointment only

Aug 3, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontario’s assessment centres will no longer offer walk-in COVID-19 testing as of Oct. 4; they will adopt an appointment-only model on Oct. 6.

The announcement by the provincial government comes on a record-breaking day for newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario, with the province recording 732 new infections on Oct. 2. The change is meant to reduce testing turnaround times while prioritizing people who are most at risk of contracting the virus. 

“The modelling we released this week demonstrates the absolute necessity to take action now to reverse current trends and protect our hospital capacity,” Premier Doug Ford said in a media release.

Beginning on Oct. 4, assessment centres will discontinue walk-in testing for people who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are displaying symptoms. Although the new appointment-based model will not officially take effect until Oct. 6, any appointments already scheduled to take place between Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 will continue as scheduled. A statement by the provincial government said the two-day buffer between the end of the walk-in model and the beginning of the appointment-based model will allow assessment centres time to reset, deep clean and prepare for the new model. 

Mobile testing and pop-up testing centres will continue to provide targeted testing for vulnerable populations including people living and working in long-term care and congregate care settings.

The province will also expand the number of pharmacies offering testing to asymptomatic Ontarians. , Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, instructed assessment centres to stop testing people who are asymptomatic and who have not been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19. Instead, asymptomatic Ontarians can currently request free COVID-19 tests at across the province. 

“With the upcoming flu and cold season approaching, we need to ensure Ontario’s publicly funded testing resources are available for those who need them the most,” Yaffe said in a media release on Sept. 24. “That’s why … I have recommended Ontario update testing guidelines to prioritize those who are at the greatest risk while shifting away from untargeted asymptomatic testing.”

By mid October, the provincial government aims to have reached a testing and processing capacity of 50,000 tests per day. It hopes to reach 68,000 tests per day by mid November. 

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It’s time to consider shutting down casinos, theatres and malls, leading health expert says

Jun 25, 2021 , , , , by shlf

As COVID-19 cases continue to pile up, a leading health expert says the Ontario government should consider shutting down casinos, movie theatres and shopping malls. Industry defenders, meanwhile, say closures would be unnecessary and unfair.

“Closing them completely should be a last resort. But I think we need to consider everything right now. How surgical can we afford to be?” said Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, an infectious disease specialist with the University Health Network.

Tuesday, Ontario had 554 new COVID-19 cases, down from a record-setting 700 the day before. But Sharkawy warns we haven’t come close to the peak of the second wave.

“I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing a thousand cases per day within the next two to three weeks,” said Sharkawy, who was surprised to see some Ontario casinos reopen on Monday for the first time since March. Casinos had been allowed to open since the province hit Stage 3 in mid-July, but casino operators had been negotiating unsuccessfully with the province to boost a 50-customer cap.

“They’re closing strip clubs and cutting bar hours but casinos are still open? Gambling is not essential. All it will take is one outbreak at a facility like this to show why we shouldn’t be supporting them right now,” said Sharkawy.

Those casinos are all managed by Great Canadian Gaming Co., which runs 11 casinos in Ontario, including at Woodbine and Mohawk.

Shutting casinos down wouldn’t be fair to the industry’s 17,000 workers in Ontario, said Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, the casino industry’s national trade association.

“If they roll things back to Stage 2 for the entire province, or an entire region, that’s their prerogative. If they cherry-pick one sector of one industry, that’s problematic,” said Burns, who pointed out that casinos which have opened are nowhere near their standard capacity, and are missing some standard features: booze and table games.

“We’re the safest part of the entire hospitality industry, because we’re already so heavily regulated. And now, there are only 50 people allowed in at a time,” said Burns.

A spokesperson for the provincial ministry of health said the government is still monitoring the COVID situation across Ontario, and could implement further restrictions.

“The government, in consultation with public health experts, continues to review trends from a range of criteria on an ongoing basis to determine if public health measures need to be adjusted or tightened,” said Anna Miller.

Allowing just 50 customers into a casino that’s designed for thousands isn’t a money-maker, said Burns. Not that it’s being done for charitable purposes, he admitted.

“They wanted to demonstrate to public health officials that they could open and operate in a safe manner. It’s not economically viable at 50 people,” said Burns. Eventually, Burns said the casino industry would like to see more gamblers coming through the doors.

“That conversation stopped when the province announced a 28-day moratorium on more opening up. It’s a conversation that we’ll continue at the appropriate time. We recognize that now is not the time,” Burns said.

Mall operator Cadillac Fairview, which runs properties including the Eaton Centre, says it’s ready if the government clamps down again.

“Like many other businesses, we are closely monitoring the current COVID-19 environment and local public health updates with regards to potential restrictions being reimposed. Should this be the case, we have plans in place to act quickly and as mandated,” said Cadillac Fairview spokesperson Janine Ramparas.

A spokesperson for the country’s largest movie theatre chain said the company would follow whatever rules are put in place, but said their theatres are safe.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate about what may or may not happen, but above all our primary concern is the health and well-being of our team and guests. We have proudly and safely welcomed back over 1.5 million guests to our theatres since Canada Day, but will of course follow all heath and safety guidelines put in place at the federal, provincial and municipal level should things change,” said Cineplex spokesperson Sarah Van Lange.