By Cecilia Nasmith

With a second COVID-19 wave in full swing, Northumberland County residents are experiencing unprecedented changes to their daily lives.

To help answer the many questions they have, the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland – a partnership of local patients, caregivers, health- and community-care agencies – will host a second interactive virtual event on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.

The 60-minute forum will answer such questions as the status of cases in Northumberland, how to access COVID-19 assessment and testing, safety practices in place at long-term-care homes, available home and community, when a vaccine might be expected and how it would be co-ordinated.

Five OHT-N panelists will open the event with a high-level overview of local agency responses to the pandemic to date and the partnerships that have proven invaluable in minimizing the impact of the pandemic on Northumberland County.

Participants can join on-line via the ZOOM platform or by telephone. They can ask questions directly of the panelists as well as other OHT-N representatives (including both Northumberland hospitals, primary care providers, local paramedics, community-care agencies and long-term-care providers).

OHT-N spokesperson (and Northumberland Hills Hospital president and chief executive officer) Linda Davis pointed out that the OHT-N was one of 24 OHTs formed across the province just prior to the pandemic.

“Here in Northumberland, it continues to be an invaluable network to support a co-ordinated response and positive health outcomes,” Davis said.

“It will take all of us to successfully beat COVID-19, ad we have been extremely grateful to have the relationships in place around the OHT-N table to support the work required, including but certainly not limited to the establishment of three COVID-19 assessment-and-testing centres.

“We look forward to sharing information, answering questions and hearing from area residents about what more we can be doing collectively to help as we move forward together.”

Davis will serve as moderator of the panel, whose presenters include Campbellford Memorial Hospital president and chief executive officer Varouj Eskedjian (representing the hospital sector), Northumberland County chief administrative officer Jennifer Moore (representing the municipal sector, including paramedics and long-term care), Northumberland Family Health Team executive director Adrienne Bell-Smith (representing the primary-care sector) and Community Care Northumberland executive director Trish Baird (representing the community-care sector).

Join by going to zoom.us/join or calling 1-855-703-8985. Enter meeting ID 971 8503 6249 and passcode 235655 to join – this information is also on the OHT-N website at www.ohtnorthumberland.ca

You can submit questions live on-line. For those joining by phone, submit your questions in advance at info@northumberland.ca or 1-800-354-7050 ext. 2335.

Or just listen in. This forum is offered by OHT-N partners as an opportunity to share hoe they continue to work together to support local health needs, flatten COVID-19's second wave and answer questions (or recommend resources) on issues that are top-of-mind.