Opposition attacks Manitoba government over COVID-19 testing sites as MLAs return to legislature

An hour before Premier Brian Pallister tried to silence mounting criticism over COVID-19 testing, his government was taken to task for how long people are waiting.

In the first question period at the Manitoba Legislature in four months, NDP MLA Uzoma Asagwara accused the provincial government Thursday of squandering its chance to ensure people could get tested for COVID-19, and get their results, quickly.

"The province has had seven months now to prepare for this moment. Unfortunately, this minister and this government is failing," the Opposition health critic said.

"Why isn't there additional testing capacity right now when we need it?"

Health Minister Cameron Friesen said his Progressive Conservative government moved quickly to rejig the health-care system and acquire personal protective equipment once the pandemic arrived. The demand on swamped testing sites has to be alleviated too, he said.

"We are not satisfied that people are waiting too long in lineups. They aren't satisfied in Ontario, Saskatchewan or Alberta either," Friesen said. "We're working hard every single day."

Testing capacity has grown: PCs

He added the province has been building capacity throughout the pandemic. The province went from administering a few hundred tests a day to averaging 1,400 a day three weeks ago, and is now doing at least 2,000 tests in a day.

More than 2,700 tests were logged on Wednesday — a new record, Friesen said. 

The Opposition New Democrats opened question period Thursday by condemning the long lines at testing sites. An hour later, Pallister tried to blunt the criticism by announcing new testing locations, the ability to use doctors' offices as after-hours screening sites, and plans to train new testing staff at Red River College.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew was unimpressed by Pallister's response.

"If the government is constantly playing catch-up when most reasonable people seem to be able to see what's coming next, I have serious concerns about their pandemic response," Kinew said.

There have been reports, specifically in Winnipeg, of people waiting all day for a COVID-19 swab and up to a week for test results.

Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said the government was warned for months about an expected surge in testing demand.

"The fact that they're doing it now, when Manitoba has the second-highest active cases [per capita] in Canada shows that they've waited too long."

The Tory government's response to COVID-19 was, unsurprisingly, one of the main topics Thursday, as opposition MLAs grilled the government for the first time since the last question period in May.

The fall sitting began Wednesday with the throne speech, and continued with Thursday's physically distanced question period.

Half the MLAs remained in the chamber, spaced farther apart than usual, while their remaining colleagues participated by video conference. Televisions were placed in the chamber so the remote legislators could be seen by everyone.

The legislature wasn't immune to the glitches common to virtual meetings.

At one point, NDP MLA Lisa Naylor (Wolseley) was cut off while speaking. A hush filled the chamber.

"The mute may have accidentally been put on," Speaker Myrna Driedger said, breaking the momentary silence.

The coronavirus wasn't the only topic of discussion during Thursday's question period, though.

Pallister expressed his displeasure with NDP questioning about Paul Beauregard — the secretary of the province's Treasury Board and a former executive at Manitoba Telecom Systems (MTS). The NDP alleged internal documents suggest he played a role in stopping a Manitoba Hydro subsidiary from bidding on a networking contract that eventually went to Bell MTS, the company created after Bell acquired MTS.

Pallister said the NDP is welcome to attack him and his government, but not a government employee.

"Show some respect, show some class, grow up," the premier said.

The sitting was also the first question period for NDP MLA Nello Altomare (Transcona) since he announced his Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma had entered remission.

"I'll just say, I've never been more happy to see an order paper," he said, referring to an itinerary for the day's legislative business.