COVID-19 to complicate flu season in Nova Scotia
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‘I know yesterday people were calling five, six hours before they could reach 811 ... to speak to a nurse,’ says Claudia Chender, the NDP's education spokeswoman.
On Monday, the Department of Health and Wellness said in a tweet that the line was experiencing high call volumes and asked people to call back later.
The overlap of symptoms between the cold, the flu, and COVID-19 means that more people would call the line as the flu season rears its head.
Chender says with schools reopening, thousands of children will need a test in the upcoming weeks and months. Issues with the phone line mean that people won’t be able to get tested in time. The situation can throw a wrench in people’s plans as a caregiver would have to stay home with the sick child, or a teacher won’t be able to go back to work.
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Chender suggests setting up rapid testing clinics inside schools or dedicating a mobile clinic to visit schools. An 811 line dedicated to school administrators could also make the process more efficient.
In an emailed statement, the Department of Health and Wellness said it has increased the number of people staffing 811 by about 80 people since March. It has also increased the number of active phone lines from 40 to 200.
Nova Scotia can use some of the $48 million granted by the federal government to improve the delays and help schools manage COVID-19, says Chender.
‘The cost of returning to a situation with community spread and an economic lockdown is incalculable. We need to do everything we can to ensure that doesn’t happen.’”