FREE DIGITAL ACCESS: The Niagara Dailies have made the decision to provide free digital access to some local coronavirus articles. If you appreciate good journalism, please subscribe to stcatharinesstandard.ca or niagarafallsreview.ca or wellandtribune.ca for unlimited access to all articles.
All Ontario adults, including those in Niagara, will be able to book an earlier second dose of COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday — and it’s likely appointments will be in high demand.
The province said approximately 1.5 million Ontarians are eligible for an accelerated second dose of vaccine.
Over the last two weeks, Ontario was offering earlier second doses to people living in Delta variant “hotspot” regions — including Hamilton, Toronto, Halton, Peel, Durham and York —but Niagara was not among those risk areas.
In Niagara, about 75 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and up have had their first dose of vaccine but just over 24 per cent have had a second dose.
Acting medical officer of health Dr. Mustafa Hirji has been urging residents who haven’t received their first shot — many of whom are in the teens, 20s and 30s — to book appointments as soon as possible.
“I expect within a few hours all those appointments are going to be gone, so if you haven’t booked your first dose yet, don’t delay. Take the opportunity to claim a spot before, unfortunately, those spots go away.”
COVID-19 continues to circulate in the community, with 14 new cases reported in Niagara on Saturday. There were 176 active cases in the region with 10 patients with COVID-19 in hospital.
Hirji told regional councillors on Friday that 40 per cent of the region’s new cases since June 1 are people who caught the virus from someone in their own household. That person caught the virus, brought it home and spread it others they live with.
But who did that first person get COVID from?
Nineteen per cent of of new cases caught COVID-19 from a friend and six per cent from co-workers.
“That really emphasizes why we’ve talked so much about limiting social interaction because people are socializing with friends, socializing with co-workers on breaks or lunches and unfortunately that’s how they get infected with COVID-19,” Hirji said.
“They come in the household and spread it to everybody else and that’s really how most infection is rising and spreading within Niagara.”
Hirji said that’s why people are still being asked to keep two metres apart, limit the size of gatherings and limit potential spread to households.
Other sources of new COVID cases this month were from family members who don’t live in the same household at four per cent and outbreaks at six per cent. Twenty-five per cent of new cases have sources that can’t be traced.
Niagara had distributed 423,127 doses of vaccine to residents by Saturday.
Most people who booked their first vaccine appointment at a mass immunization clinic in Ontario were given a second dose appointment 16 weeks later despite vaccine manufacturers recommending three to four week intervals based on clinical trials.
The move was an effort to stretch vaccine supply to get as many people vaccinated with their first doses as possible.
Ontario said it will now offer second doses at an interval of four weeks or later depending on availability of vaccines.
“Ontario’s vaccine roll out continues to pick up speed, allowing us to provide more second doses ahead of schedule while supporting our communities most at risk,” Ministry of Health Christine Elliott said in a press release Friday.
“All vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and the Delta variant, and I encourage everyone to book your second dose appointment as soon as possible.”
Loading...
Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...
People who are 70 years of age and over already have the ability to book accelerated appointments as do those who received AstraZeneca.
People can book accelerated second dose appointments starting at 8 a.m. Monday on the province’s website at covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. People aged 12 and up can book first dose appointments any time.
The province said it’s expecting to receive 5.2 million doses of Moderna and 4.7 million doses of Pfizer in June and another 3.54 million doses of Pfizer in July.
Accelerated second-dose vaccine appointments offered Monday; 14 new COVID-19 cases in Niagara - NiagaraFallsReview.ca
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment