Testing demand drops in Cape Breton, but hospitals prepare for sicker COVID-19 patients

The demand for COVID-19 testing has dwindled in Cape Breton and the number of positive cases may soon drop.

But the region is not out of the woods, according to Andrew Heighton, the COVID-19 response director for the provincial health authority's eastern zone.

"You may see our numbers go down over the next few days," Heighton said. "But that's not an indication that we're anywhere near going in the right direction or getting out of this."

Heighton said hospitals could see a surge in patients as people diagnosed with COVID-19 become sicker.

"This was the trend we've seen across the country as well, so we're just looking at being prepared for that next part of the wave."

Heading back to hospital 

To prepare a possible influx of patients, Heighton said health-care workers are being redeployed from testing sites back into hospitals. He said that means the province will be putting a call out for volunteers needed to fill in any gaps.

In late April, when there were numerous COVID-19 exposure sites in the Sydney area, upwards of 3,800 people a day were being tested locally. The average has since dropped to about 1,100 tests per day.

The eastern zone is made up of Cape Breton, and the Antigonish and Guysborough areas. As of Monday morning, Cape Breton County's health network reported 111 active cases, while Inverness had 20 cases and Antigonish and Guysborough had three cases.

Closure of some testing sites

The health authority said that with its laboratory backlog cleared, the need for three testing sites in Sydney is not necessary. Stations that were set up at Centre 200 and Membertou will close on Monday.

The health authority is also preparing to have more testing capacity at the Grand Lake Road fire hall. The Sydney facility will shut down over the weekend and reopen Monday. The expansion of services will allow the site to collect 1,000 on-site tests a day, up from just 400 tests per day.

Heighton said people living in the area should continue to make asymptomatic testing a priority.

"We're asking the public can they make testing again a part of their regular routine, you know every week, every couple weeks, get an asymptomatic test," he said.

"We have lots of capacity throughout the eastern zone right now."

Disturbance at testing site

Police said a disturbance was reported at the Centre 200 testing site on Monday afternoon.

A man reportedly began yelling and throwing things at people who were standing in line for testing. Police said the individual then pulled a knife on someone as they tried to approach him.

No one was injured, and a pocket knife was later seized. 

A 31-year-old from Sydney Mines was taken to Cape Breton Regional Hospital for an assessment.

Police say he will be charged with causing a disturbance, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.