Dr. Eileen De Villa, Toronto Medical Officer of Health: ‘Spread of virus will be up to us’
Dr. Eileen De Villa, Toronto Medical Officer of Health: ‘Spread of virus will be up to us’
By Irish Mae Silvestre
The Philippine Reporter
From family get togethers to flu shots, Dr. Eileen De Villa, City of Toronto Medical Officer of Health, answered questions from the Filipino-Canadian community during the October 9 webinar “Briefing on Recent Developments on COVID-19.”
Hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, the virtual event covered a myriad of issues as well as the ever-evolving landscape in the fight against COVID-19.
“I last addressed this group back in February and that feels like a lifetime ago,” said Dr. De Villa, adding that they’re “still having to adjust our actions and recommendations” as they learn more about the virus.
Since the event was held just days before Thanksgiving, Dr. De Villa urged people to “stay away” from extended family and forgo gatherings in favour of virtual get togethers.
“Especially with Filipino culture this is completely opposite to what we hold near and dear to us especially during holidays,” she acknowledged. “Very simply in my mind I don’t want to see any more people in our community to get a COVID-19 diagnosis and to have to experience the anxiety or worry of waiting for a COVID-19 test.”
And with the rising number of cases, Dr. De Villa has every reason to be concerned.
She stated that in just the first week of October, Toronto saw 2,000 new cases – a marked jump in just eight days. With a high number of cases in minority communities, Dr. De Villa explained that efforts were being made to reach out to these groups.
“We’re directing [outreach] activities in a culturally sensitive and language appropriate fashion in order to meet the needs of those communities, particularly those that are racialized in our city,” she said.
When asked about plans to open more isolation centres, she said that although the city is currently well-served with the existing isolation centre, they would consider opening more should the situation require it.
On the subject of flu shots, she urged people to speak with their physicians about getting the shot, except those for whom flu shot is not recommended. “Further this year, given COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that we protect as much of our population against influenza, which itself is also a cause of serious complications and deaths,” she explained.
And one positive outcome of all the preventive measures against COVID-19? “The measures that people have been adopting to prevent COVID-19 also happen to be really good at preventing influenza,” she said.
The issue of COVID-19 vaccines were also very much on people’s minds.
Dr. De Villa stated that the Canadian government has signed advanced purchase agreements for six different vaccines; five of which are in phase three clinical trials. In terms of timeline, she stated that they hope it’ll be ready for public use early next year.
“Most importantly, I want to make sure those vaccines are properly tested and they’ve gone through rigorous steps because this is a very fast vaccine development process,” she said.
Beyond the issue of health, Dr. De Villa expressed concern about “what happens after.”
“We know these [racialized] communities have been particularly hard hit around the economic impacts and job losses sustained as a result of COVID-19,” she said, adding that the topic of financial support is an issue she plans to bring up with the provincial and federal government. “They have a greater lever of control and real opportunities to provide policies and programs to support people who find themselves in those situations.”
At the end of the virtual briefing, Dr. De Villa was presented with a certificate of appreciation by Consul General Orontes V. Castro who thanked her for her presence and “advice to our fellow Filipinos.”
“We know COVID-19 is spreading in our city in a serious way and it will come down to the choices we make together,” said Dr. De Villa. “[The] choices we make determine whether the spread of the virus is going to get worse or whether it’s going to get better.”
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