Officials Disagree on COVID Security in Cumberland
The chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia’s Northern Health Zone says broad-based public announcements or special local testing programs are not yet necessary in Cumberland County.
Following news of a positive COVID finding in the Pugwash area, Dr. Ryan Sommers says, “There’s a difference between community spread and community exposure.” Sommers, who works from the Colchester Regional Hospital in Truro, says, “Community spread would indicate a large number of lab confirmed cases present in many settings with no clear source. This is not the situation in Cumberland County.”
The Deputy Mayor of Cumberland County told Dr. Sommers, “I disagree with you on community spread.” Kathy Redmond added, “We do have an individual here in Pugwash that has covid (sic), is sick from it and has been in local businesses before he tested positive.” She noted that concern reaches beyond the Village of Pugwash to Wallace, Malagash, and other areas.
Sommers says, “I have engaged with NSHA Zone leadership, and they are actively looking at ways to improve access to COVID-19 testing in all our rural communities.”
Redmond was quick to say that Pugwash is at least thirty minutes drive to Amherst, and more than an hour from Malagash, and not everyone has transportation, while some with other health conditions could suffer during the trip.
Cumberland and Pugwash elected officials were quick to ask Nova Scotia Health to organize local testing facilities and to communicate details to the community through local media.
COVID testing in Amherst was relocated to the Amherst Stadium following news of a positive test, effectively doubling the capacity. A three day testing clinic was organized in Parrsboro when news broke about a local case of the virus. Yet, similar action was not taken, yet, by Nova Scotia Health in either Springhill nor Pugwash with word that COVID had arrived.
Mayor Murray Scott has offered county facilities and volunteers to help with local testing outlets. The deputy mayor said, “Pugwash has lots of places that a testing station could be set up and we have lots of retired nurses that have said they would volunteer at these centres.” Redmond urged, “Stopping this before we have more widespread cases makes more common-sense to me.”
Photo: Kathy Redmond, Councillor for District 4 and Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Cumberland.
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