One letter-writer suggests not enough is being done to combat the opioid crisis and compounding homelessness issue in Nanaimo. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Water Cooler: Masks in schools, new addiction treatment beds in Nanaimo

Feb 16, 2021 | 7:09 PM

NANAIMO — The Water Cooler is NanaimoNewsNOW’s letters to the editor-style segment, featuring conversations about the news in Nanaimo and Oceanside.

This week’s feature focuses on recently announced funding for treatment beds designed to help those recovering from addiction, as well as mask usage in schools following a rash of COVID-19 exposures in Nanaimo and Ladysmith.

Penny M., Nanaimo: It’s my opinion masks should have been mandatory at schools from the beginning. Frankly, it’s irresponsible not to have erred on the side of caution to protect students, teachers and staff and all of the families and the greater community to begin with. Almost a year later, to be Looking at this is inconceivable!

NanaimoNewsNOW: The debate over whether masks should be mandatory in schools has raged since September when classes resumed. The province did mandate masks for students in commons areas such as hallways or where social distancing could not be established.

A further tightening of those restrictions came in early February included all areas inside a school except when seated or standing at a desk or workstation.

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Data from public health shows since September, school aged children remain very under-represented in COVID-19 case counts, with very little actual in-school transmission. Yes, cases exist in school-aged children, but overall the source and transmission is not happening in school.

Since September through to the end of January, children aged five to 18 accounted for 10.8 per cent of cases while making up 13.9 per cent of the population.

Data from the BC Centre for Disease Control shows case counts in school-aged children tracks below what it should be compared to their percentage in B.C.’s population. (BC CDC)

During November’s run of exposures and clusters in the region, SD68 superintendent Scott Saywell said province-wide, only two per cent of cases were a result of in-school transmission.

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Jo-Anne S., Nanaimo: I just found out that the addiction/mental health minister is overseeing more treatment beds to be available for people suffering the impact of addiction.

All I can say is too little too late. The beds opening up will be for only a select few and meanwhile, the ones who desperately need help are ignored once again. Isn’t it high time the government do more around the ever increasing alcohol and drug use in our society? Most people would never be able to afford treatment here on the island.

Get with it BC government, if you are working on being inclusive, and you are working to improve the situation for people, who no fault of their own have developed addictions, then you will get going with a NOT FOR PROFIT TREATMENT CENTRE so the vast majority can receive treatment when they are ready to.

NanaimoNewsNOW: Even the provincial government admitted the announcement of 20 treatment beds for Nanaimo isn’t enough, with mental health and addictions minister Sheila Malcolmson saying “there’s more to do.”

Of the 20 beds coming to Nanaimo, 15 are at the non-profit John Howard Society and provincially-funded. It’s expected to cost around $210,000, based on numbers provided in an earlier discussion around the City table. These beds are available to those in need who can’t afford treatment.

It’s the five beds at the Edgewood Treatment Centre which seem to be behind most of the concern. Edgewood is a for-profit clinic and it’s unclear how the provincial funding will work for the facility. But 75 per cent of the new treatment and recovery beds in Nanaimo are designated for a non-profit society which offers many programs for those most in need.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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