COVID-19 forces Winnipeg's Main Street Project, Salvation Army to reduce addictions services

Winnipeg's Main Street Project says it had to temporarily close its men's detox program for several daysbecause of COVID-19-related staff shortages.

In a social media postWednesday, the charity says it was a "very temporary emergency closure," and the program reopened Wednesday.

"Staff shortages due to COVID-19 is our reality today. This dilemma is challenging the entire health sector across Manitoba," the Facebook post said.

"To keep up with increasing demand, MSP has been rapidly but diligently hiring, training and deploying new staff to support our operations, our team, our clients and programs."

Other addictions services are being interrupted because of the pandemic.

The Salvation Army's Anchorage programa residential treatment program for people with addictionsis currently on hold, according to Maj. Gordon Taylor, the executive director of the Winnipeg Centre of Hope.

He says the decision was made to stop group programming in order to protect participants and staff.

"We hope group programming can resume in the near future," he said in an email.

Meanwhile, Re:Acta day program that offers trauma-informed counselling through addiction treatment programs in Winnipeg has had to make changes to stayopen.

Tim Fletcher, the founder and president of the program, says the group counselling sessions have split into smaller, physically distanced groups, while some counselling sessions are now online.

"There's lots of addictions issues, mental health issues, domestic violence issues.... Everybody's struggling," he said, addingthere's been about a 30 per cent increase in relapse during the pandemic.

NDP MLA Bernadette Smith, who representsPoint Douglas, raised the closure in question period at the Manitoba Legislature Tuesday.

She called on theprovincial Progressive Conservative government to step in to ensure resources are available to allow people to continue detox programs. She also said the province shouldinvoke emergency measures for the homeless population in general.

Families Minister Heather Stefansonsaid the province is working with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to ensure there are isolation spaces for people who are homeless.

The province opened dozens of beds at shelters early in the pandemic to help those experiencing homeless self-isolate if needed.

On Wednesday, Manitoba Shared HealthChief Nursing Officer Lanette Siragusareleased details on capacity at the province's isolation spaces for homeless or at-risk people.

The first site, which has 39 spots, is full, and asecond space, with 22 spots, is near capacity, she said.A third site, with140 spots,will open soon.