https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/rapid-test-kits-lineups-public-health-1.6299995
Long lineups, fraying nerves as sites run out of rapid test kits
Horizon apologizes for frustrating and futile waits, says supply is 'insufficient to meet demand'
As the province grapples with record COVID-19 case numbers and the developing Omicron-variant threat, testing backlogs have grown and residents have been told to lean on free rapid tests to help curb transmission.
Dr. Jennifer Russell and Premier Blaine Higgs both urged New Brunswickers last week to acquire a supply of rapid test kits before the holidays, saying a significant number of recent cases were initially detected through rapid testing.
But for many, the tests are proving hard to come by.
Saint John resident Charles Waddell said he took time off work Wednesday to drive to the mobile site in Grand Bay-Westfield after two futile previous attempts to get rapid tests at Saint John's Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal.
When he got there, "there were cars lined up for half a kilometre," Waddell said.
"An hour and 10 minutes into waiting in this line, cars are driving by yelling things out the window. … They're saying 'There's no tests, they're not even set up, nobody even showed up.' "
Waddell said he later heard via social media that the kits had not arrived at the Grand Bay-Westfield site, and that the cruise terminal site was also out of kits.
Residents shared similar frustrations in other regions, posting on social media that the Fredericton site had run out of tests by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
In Edmundston, former mayor Cyrille Simard told CBC News that the pickup location at Edmundston Regional Hospital had also run out.
"I passed by to get some tests at [3 p.m.] and was told to come tomorrow as they ran out," Simard said.
Waddell questioned why this sort of pertinent information wasn't made available on the Horizon Health Network or government of New Brunswick websites.
"Me, I'm old, I'm in my 50s, I'm not even on social media," he said. "So I wasted a big part of my day."
People
line up to pick up rapid tests in Fredericton last Tuesday. On
Wednesday, the Fredericton test pickup site ran out of tests less than
two hours after it opened. (Mrinali Anchan/CBC News)
Not enough test kits available, Horizon says
Public Health did not immediately respond to emailed questions Wednesday about whether there's a shortage of the rapid test kits in the province.
Russell said last week that there was no shortage of kits, and that more would be delivered in the coming weeks.
"Right now we have 189,000 kits or 1.5 million tests on hand," she said at a Dec. 21 news conference. "We anticipate another 500,000 tests this week and another 750,000 tests arriving the first week of January."
However, Horizon said Wednesday that not enough test kits are being delivered to its pickup locations.
"Horizon can confirm the number of Point of Care Test (POCT) kits being supplied to our hub and mobile pickup locations is insufficient to meet the current public demand," community vice-president Jean Daigle said in an email.
Daigle said Wednesday's hiccups at both the Saint John cruise terminal and Grand Bay-Westfield mobile pickup site were caused by a delivery delay, with the expected kits not arriving until "well after" the clinic was scheduled to open.
"Given this unexpected situation, the decision was made to close the site for the day and reopen on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. using the stock that arrived from this late delivery," he said.
Daigle noted Horizon is working with the government to address these issues and apologized for the inconvenience to residents.
"We are working with our on-site teams to help ensure that anyone waiting in line to receive a kit can be notified when supplies are running low in order to reduce the number of people waiting unnecessarily," he said.
In the meantime, some residents said the lack of available kits has them on edge.
Saint John resident Dick Murphy, who was also in that long lineup in Grand Bay-Westfield, acknowledged that the swift and unexpected arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has complicated things for the province but said residents have all been told to test frequently with the rapid kits.
"We're trying to be conscientious and follow the rules," Murphy said.
"If the expectation is that if you are feeling a little off, and the front line of the whole thing is to give yourself a rapid test, then I guess it does concern me."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Whatever happened to N'esy Pas? lol
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-2020-opioid-overdoses-1.6299762
Methinks everybody knows that Higgy et al have denied my right to Free Health Care for political reasons N'esy Pas?
Yea Right You did it to me twice
New Brunswick sees high death toll from accidental opioid overdoses in 2020
38 people lost their lives, the highest toll since at least 2005, according to data kept by CBC News
Thirty-eight people died from accidental apparent opioid overdoses in 2020 in New Brunswick, according to new figures from the federal government.
It's the highest toll of accidental opioid overdoses in the province since at least 2005, according to figures kept by CBC News, as the country faces an opioid overdose crisis, described by some as a shadow pandemic.
While New Brunswick's numbers fluctuate and are not as stark as those in some other provinces — British Columbia recorded nearly 1,700 accidental opioid deaths in 2020, federal data shows — they're still cause for concern, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell.
"There is no question that during COVID, during the pandemic, that mental health and addictions issues and substance-use disorders have definitely increased in terms of number of people being affected, and the severity of the types of symptoms that they see," she said.
Russell co-chairs the special advisory committee on the epidemic of opioid overdoses, along with Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada.
They released modelling this month indicating that opioid deaths are projected to remain high or increase, with as many as 1,600 to 2,000 people in Canada predicted to lose their lives to opioid overdoses in each quarter of 2021.
"A number of factors have likely contributed to a worsening of the opioid overdose crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, including the increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply; increased feelings of isolation, stress, anxiety and depression; and the limited availability or accessibility of health and social services for people who use drugs, including life-saving harm reduction and treatment," a statement from Tam and Russell says.
Figures from New Brunswick show 13 people died of accidental opioid overdoses between January and June 2021. Those figures sometimes climb as autopsies are completed.
"Will this continue to get worse? I think that can happen based on what is happening with the pandemic," Russell said earlier this month in response to a question about opioid overdoses in New Brunswick.
"Certainly in British Columbia, that has been the trend."
Loss of 38 lives 'devastating'
Hearing that 38 people lost their lives in 2020 is "devastating" for Dr. Sara Davidson.
She is the medical director of River Stone Recovery Centre in Fredericton, a clinic providing "trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder, with a focus on opiate and stimulant replacement therapy." She sees these deaths as preventable.
Dr.
Sara Davidson says the province needs to treat underlying issues, such
as trauma and homelessness, before it can address substance use
disorder. (Gary Moore/CBC)
"There's so much stigma that's associated with substance use disorder," Davidson said.
"It continues to be something that's very hidden. A lot of people that are dying of overdoses are dying because they're using alone, and COVID-19 has just really exaggerated the amount of isolation that everybody is experiencing."
Many of her clients are dealing with mental health problems, trauma and poverty on top of substance use disorder.
Combined with the pandemic and challenges accessing mental health services, it has created what Davidson described as "a perfect storm."
"It's a tragedy because it is actually a preventable condition," Davidson said.
"It's a treatable condition. It's just one that if we remove the veil of stigma, we'd be able to bring it back into being a health care issue, which it is, and then help it not be a disorder anymore."
Overdose prevention site saw about 200 visits in 18 days
In Moncton, the province's first overdose prevention site has been open for less than a month, but has already seen about 200 visits from 50 different people.
The site, open at Ensemble Greater Moncton's downtown office, offers people a place to test their drugs and use them.
This is the room at Ensemble Greater Moncton where people are able to use their drugs. (Submitted by Debby Warren)
After they use, people can hang out in what they call the "chill-out chairs" to make sure they don't have a negative reaction to what they've taken.
"That's 200 possibilities of people who may have injected elsewhere and may not have had somebody to give them Naloxone or access to 911 or any of that," said Joanne Marshall-Forgie, an overdose prevention site co-ordinator with Ensemble Greater Moncton. Naloxone is a medication that can help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Marshall-Forgie, who works in the consumption room with clients, sees the time people spend at the clinic after using their drugs as vital.
That's the opportunity for staff to chat with clients, who may ask to see a nurse or for help getting into affordable housing.
"Because of the [overdose prevention site], research has shown that people are more likely to access rehab services, more likely to access opportunities for detox, more likely to access health care," she said.
For now, its budget means the overdose prevention site can only stay open during Ensemble's business hours, but Marshall-Forgie would eventually like to see the site open 24 hours a day.
Of the 50 clients who have used the overdose prevention site in its first 18 days, she estimated all but five or six people are precariously housed. Some stay in a shelter, but many are sleeping rough.
"Overdoses are still happening at night outside, where people do not have protection," she said.
Unclear when additional overdose prevention sites could open
Davidson said she's been in talks with Ensemble Greater Moncton to look at developing a safe injection site in Fredericton, with wraparound support that helps people access services such as mental health support.
Implementing overdose prevention sites was listed as a priority in the province's addiction and mental health action plan for 2021 to 2025, but the report doesn't specify when additional sites might open.
New
Brunswick has seen more than 2,500 take home Naloxone kits distributed
in the province since 2018, according to the province. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC)
Along with safe consumption sites, Davidson said, the province needs greater care for "concurrent disorders," when people are dealing with both addiction and mental health problems, along with homelessness.
"Until all of those are holistically looked at, then we're not really going to be able to help end the issues related to substance use disorder."
According to the province's most recent report on opioid surveillance, 2020 also saw "the highest proportion of hospitalizations for accidental poisonings and the lowest proportion of intentional poisonings."
"The total number of opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in 2020 were within an expected range; however, there is a notable peak in the proportion of individuals aged 60-69 years compared to previous years," the report says.
Since 2018, more than 2,500 take home kits of Naloxone have been given out through distribution sites in the province.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.1,2 It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.3 It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids.4 Tolerance occurs when you need a higher and/or more frequent amount of a drug to get the desired effects.
In its prescription form, fentanyl is known by such names as Actiq®, Duragesic®, and Sublimaze®.4,5
Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2017, 59.8 percent of opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl compared to 14.3 percent in 2010.
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2021 13:24:42 +0000
Subject: RE: RE New Brunswick sees high death toll from accidental
opioid overdoses in 2020
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write.
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to let you know that your email has been received and will be reviewed
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---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2021 09:23:07 -0400
Subject: RE New Brunswick sees high death toll from accidental opioid
overdoses in 2020
To: help@recoverynb.ca, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
"Mike.Bamford@fredericton.ca \"Roger.Brown\""
<Roger.Brown@fredericton.ca>, "hugh.flemming" <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>,
"Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>,
andre <andre@jafaust.com>, David.Coon@gnb.ca, Jenica.Atwin@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
https://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday, 30 December 2021
Long lineups, fraying nerves as sites run out of rapid test kits
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Long lineups, fraying nerves as sites run out of rapid test kits
Horizon apologizes for frustrating and futile waits, says supply is
'insufficient to meet demand'
Marie Sutherland · CBC News · Posted: Dec 29, 2021 6:58 PM AT
34 Comments
.
David Amos
Why is it lemmings come to mind?
David Smith
Reply to @David Amos: In your case ..alleged mind.
David Smith
Reply to @David Amos: What happened to your other names? lol
David Amos
Reply to @David Smith: I only have one name and its been on 7 ballots
and many legal actions etc Correct?
David Smith
Reply to @David Amos: "Correct?"
Whatever happened to N'esy Pas? lol
Al Clark
Reply to @David Amos: One name with MANY ID variations ;-)
David Amos
Reply to @David Smith: Methinks my "alleged" mind deems this to be far
more important news yet no comments are allowed thus far N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Laurie Savage
Content deactivated
@David Amos you can call yourself one when you're in the ICU
David Amos
Content deactivated
Reply to @Laurie Savage: Dream on They won't admit me into the ICU
unless I pay them in advance
Methinks everybody knows that Higgy et al have denied my right to Free
Health Care for political reasons N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Content deactivated
Reply to @Laurie Savage: FYI I did reply
River Stone Recovery Centre has a multidisciplinary team, composed of:
Medical Director (Physician)
Nurse Manager (RN)
Pharmacist
Case Managers
LPNs
Administrative Workers
Peer Support Workers
Project & Research Coordinator
Security Guards
While operating as an emergency drop in centre, the Phoenix Learning
Centre team included:
Outreach Coordinator
Peer & Non-Peer Support Workers
Cleaner
Security Guards
Volunteers
Advisory Committee
The challenges faced by people experiencing substance use disorder are
complex and multifaceted, and we recognise the need to work across
silos and forge strong relationships across sectors and all levels of
government and community.
We are thankful to our advisory committee for their ongoing commitment
and guidance:
Dr. Imelda Perley, UNB Elder-in-Residence
Dr. Theveshen Padayachee, Psychiatrist, Addictions and Mental Health
Kelly Gallagher, Clinic Manager, St. Mary's Health Centre
Dr. Lacey Blythe, Hospitalist, DECH
Jennifer Little, RN Manager, DECH ER
Marchell Coloumbe, Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Board Member
Const. Mike Bamford, Fredericton Police Force
Amy Mooers, Social Development Supervisor for Housing and Income Support.
Partners
We have sought input from and work in conjunction with relevant
stakeholders including:
Individuals experiencing substance use disorder
First Nations Communities
Horizon Health Network: Emergency Department physicians and staff,
Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre, medical experts and
other substance use disorder treatment practices
Addictions and Mental Health physicians and staff
Social Development (Capital Region)
City of Fredericton
Community-based organizations: Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Out
of the Cold Shelter, John Howard Society, AIDS NB
Two consulting agencies assisted with the establishment of River Stone
Recovery Centre and Phoenix Learning Centre:
All In Research & Innovation (Human-Centred Design)
Two Roads Management Consulting (Management & Health Services)
To find out more:
(506) 447- 9634
help@recoverynb.ca
or drop in, we are open 7 days per week
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