MAHC’S BUBELA ADMITS THERE ARE ‘LIKELY’ MORE MUSKOKA COVID CASES
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — As COVID cases look to skyrocket over Christmas, Muskoka’s top health official says there are “likely” more cases in the district than we know.
Eighty-five per cent of the region’s coronavirus cases the past two days are under investigation by the health unit as to their cause.
That’s 14 of 107 cases.
Natalie Bubela, CEO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, admits publicly for perhaps the first time this week what most residents have long thought — and many still firmly believe.
“The recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Simcoe County and in the District of Muskoka as the holiday season nears is alarming,” she says.
Buried in a sweet otherwise illuminating community blog this week about cookie donations to the hospital staff, she offered this unsavoury morsel to chew on:
“It’s also important to recognize that COVID positive cases in Muskoka are likely higher than what is being reported locally, when cases are attributed to and counted in another health unit within the province.”
She added: “A surge in cases has the potential to also impact bed capacity within the hospitals and our ability to maintain the provision of outpatient services, such as scheduled surgery and procedures.”
Her assessment, comments and uncharacteristic frankness echoed the frustrations of a civil servant who has for more than a decade gamely struggled in her fight with Liberal and Tory governments for annual operational and capital funding.
All of this makes MPP Norm Miller’s call to partition Muskoka from Simcoe — and specifically Simcoe South — a tough sell within the government.
Dr. Charles Gardner says the politician’s request is a long shot — but “not impossible.”
The medical officer of health admits he is having trouble with contact tracing due insufficient staffing resources and has called on the province for help.
He said yesterday that people who swab positive at Muskoka test centres, but have resident health cards outside the district, are first counted elsewhere.
However, Gardner said that health information can be tracked back here through contact tracing.
Which means people who test positive may have come in contact — as visitors or seasonal residents — with permanent residents.
Combined it’s still a concern for everyone including health officials at all levels.
One that will persist well into 2021 despite positive news today about a vaccine rollout next week.
And one that will have to be dealt with more seriously and transparently between weighing the health of businesses with the health of the community.
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