Meadow Lake Civic Centre. (Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

PATIENT ASSESSMENTS

Meadow Lake performing COVID-19 assessments at community Civic Centre

Apr 17, 2020 | 12:31 PM

The City of Meadow Lake has entered into a rental agreement with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to lease the community’s Civic Centre for COVID-19 assessments for the duration of the pandemic.

The facility rental fees were discussed at the online council meeting via Zoom this week as a slightly reduced rate would be offered to the SHA to offset city costs to maintain the centre while the facility remains vacant.

According to a statement from the city’s manager, Diana Burton, the testing and assessment site opened in the Civic Centre last Thursday. At the meeting, mayor Merlin Seymour said with the exception of assessment and testing centers in Saskatoon and Regina, this is a first for the Meadow Lake community to open a COVID-19 assessment site. Information about the other locations can be found here.

The city’s facility’s rental policy states the normal rental rate for the Civic Center is $400 per day, and under normal operations, the average monthly rent for the facility is $3,000 – $3,500.

The minimum operating costs for the facility (power, gas, water, phones, internet and waste collection) average $1,860 per month. City administrators recommended a rental rate of $420 per week ($1,800 per month) for the duration of the agreement in order to cover operating costs. Council exercised the option to offer the facility at a rate below operating costs, as a public service.

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In a statement, the SHA said it opened an assessment site in Meadow Lake, which provides assessment and treatment of people with symptoms that have progressively worsened over consecutive days and are consistent with COVID-19. The site became operational earlier this month. Individuals are referred to the site for assessment and possible testing through their family physician, 811 or public health.

The mayor said the facility does not yet have security in place as this situation is new to everyone and patients must have a referral to attend.

Some city staff was laid off and there is currently no city staff present at the facility. The mayor also said at the meeting, the SHA would be responsible for cleaning the facility once the pandemic subsides.

One concern Seymour highlighted was the reliability of the building’s power source. He said organizers had previously experienced breakers failing. But Burton said SHA staff haven’t encountered that issue and their equipment does not overload the system.

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please contact your family physician or 811 in order to receive a referral.

Information about symptoms can be found here.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722