In early December, when they discovered Andre had stopped taking his medication for depression and anxiety, the Courtemanches had called the youth crisis line and their family doctor. The doctor had referred Andre to a psychiatrist six months earlier, when the teen said his medication wasn’t working. But by late December, as Andre’s mental health deteriorated, the family still hadn’t received a call from a psychiatrist. Denise pressed the family doctor to check on the referral. On Jan. 3, two days after Andre was last seen leaving his Cressida Crescent home and walking along the E & N rail line that abuts the backyard, the couple got a call about a psychiatric appointment in February.
Throughout the Island Health region, we have been fortunate to see fewer COVID-19 positive cases than many other jurisdictions. I am often asked: “What is different here?” COVID-19 appeared later at Island Health, giving us the opportunity to implement precautions much earlier. We mobilized quickly, learning from others on what we needed to do to keep our seniors and communities safe, and took action. As new information and experiences arose, we adapted our response. While this was an important aspect of our response, the No. 1 reason we have seen lower positive cases are the direct actions from the people in our communities.