Nowhere to go at COVID-19 testing sites for people who need a washroom

A steady stream of people are waitinghours for a COVID-19 swab in Winnipeg, and somejust can't hold it in.

Some individuals waiting in lineat Winnipeg's only drive-thru screening site are relievingthemselves beside their vehicles and in back alleys, a neighbour near the North End location said.

"Nobody wants their yard used as a porta-potty,"Gladys Carson said.

Carson has seenit for herself. She took a videolast month whennature was callingfor one individual.

Her brothersshoutedat people who've chosen to squatin their back lane, a block west of the test site behind Charles Street,she said.

Earlieron Monday, Carson opened the door of her home to an elderly gentleman from the line whoasked to use the facilities.

"If they're going to continue this [testing site], they have to put in porta-potties," she said. "People shouldn't have to sit in line that long without a bathroom facility."

In Winnipeg, there's onedrive-thru in the North End on Main Street and three other COVID-19sampling sites. Reported casesarerisingespecially in the city and abottleneck has formed at some sites that's leftpeople waitingseveralhours for a test.

The lack of washroom facilities hasn't garnered muchattention, but people in theSt. John's neighbourhood say it'sdisturbing.

"They're not going to really do it in the car, right?" said Bob Groves, referring to the limited options of people who need a washroom."They have to do it somewhere."

WATCH | Gladys Carson records man who uses her front lawn as a urinal:

Man urinates on front yard near COVID-19 testing site

4 years ago

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There's a steady stream of people waiting in line for a COVID-19 test in Winnipeg and some of them can't hold it in. Residents near the Main Street testing site say people are relieving themselves beside their vehicles and in back alleys because there's no public washroom.

Buying diapers

In the eventNeil Fast Sr. needed a COVID-19 test, he saidit's virtually impossible he could stay in his vehicle formore than fourhours.

His great-granddaughter couldn't do it either, he said. Last week, the eight-year-old needed the washroom but herfamily didn't want to lose their place in the testingqueue, soa relative drove over anddropped off some diapers.

Fast Sr. is annoyed by that exercise.

"We've got all these intelligent people organizing all of these [testing sites], and they don't even think about all these people standing in line for two, three, four, five hours," he said. "There's no washrooms available for any of them."

On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority wouldn't rule out the possibility of adding portable washroom facilities, but said it must find the balance betweenconvenience and the need for proper sanitation.

New Winnipeg site coming

Staffat testing sites have instructedpeopleto stay in their vehicles, before and during the test, to try and limitthe spread of the virus.

Shorter lineups would at least partially alleviate the need for washrooms.Health Minister Cameron Friesen said at the COVID-19 briefing on Monday that an additional testing site in Winnipeg would open later this week.

John Jackson, a railway worker, estimated the lineup at the North End testing baywas probably a kilometre long, counting the cars wrapped alongMain,Charles andMountain Avenue.

WATCH | Residents frustrated back lane used as toilet near COVID testing site:

Residents frustrated back lane used as toilet near COVID testing site

4 years ago

Duration 0:45

North End homeowners say people lined up at Winnipeg's only drive-thru screening site are relieving themselves beside their vehicles and in back alleys.

"I took one look at that, I went, 'It's going to be hours, and that's if I get tested,'" Jackson told CBCUp to Speed guest host Emily Brass on Monday.

Heplanned to returnTuesday at 6 a.m., he said three hours before the site, a converted Manitoba Public Insurance service centre, isscheduled to open.

People being turned away

Sonia Verniewas facing a headache, body aches,sore throat and fatigue when she was tested for COVID-19 at thesite nearly a week ago.

She wanted to lie down, but couldn't. She had to stay awake as her vehicle slowly crept forward for more than five hours.

"What really bugs me was the fact that I got there five minutes after opening. If somebody couldn't get there until 9:30 [a.m.], they might not have been able to get tested that day," she said.

Like others, Verniewants the city to open new testing sites, and extendhours atexisting locations. Opposition political parties have slammed thelong lines asinexcusable, sayingthe Progressive Conservative governmentshould have knowncases would likely spike in the fall, and the need for testingintensified.

Sheldon Gale wouldn't mind if there were other lineups to relieve the pressure on the drive-thru location on Main, but he said all the vehicles signify a community that's caring.

"Itshows people care and want to get tested," he said. "If there wasn't a big lineup of cars every day, I think then you should be worried that people don't care anymore."

'Nobody wants their yard used as a porta-potty'

4 years ago

Duration 2:02

Nowhere to go at COVID-19 testing sites for people who need a washroom.