Vaccination schedule in Sudbury and Manitoulin
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is working on vaccine sequencing and appointment bookings.
Medical officer of health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe says the area’s vaccine supply to date has meant that approximately 60% of those 18 years and older have been immunized with a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, slightly short of the 65% provincial target for the end of May.
She says the agency remains focused on getting first doses in arms while also providing second doses to those who are eligible for the shorter dose interval.
She adds Ontario’s recent announcement of accelerated second doses means that most appointments are likely to be available the week of June 28.
Dr. Sutcliffe says the health unit is also gearing up for the three-week youth and family vaccination blitz starting the week of June 7th.
For booking information visit our websites.
How to book an appointment in a Public Health clinic
All vaccination clinics are by appointment only and COVID-safe measures are in place. You must not attend a clinic if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are in isolation due to a COVID-19 exposure.
For information on local vaccine eligibility, how to book an appointment, and for upcoming vaccination clinic dates, types, and locations, visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics.
A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting one active case of COVID-19 in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, there are now 27 active cases within the health agency’s jurisdiction.
Health Sciences North reports there are 13 admitted patients, with nine testing positive for the virus and four waiting for test results.
Of the nine, four are in the intensive care unit.
Algoma Public Health is reporting no new cases of the coronavirus in the district.
Considering resolved cases, there are 12 active cases with four individuals in hospital.
Of those in hospital, all are from outside the Algoma District, but are receiving care locally.
Vaccination optional for long-term workers
Employees at Ontario’s long-term care homes will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The province has released a minimum set of standards that the homes must follow as of July 1st.
Those workers who choose not to be immunized will be required to attend an educational program on the benefits of vaccinations unless they can show documentation proving a medical reason for not being inoculated.
The Ford government says it hopes the program will encourage all long-term care employees to get vaccinated.
To date, 88 per cent of them have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Almost four-thousand people have died of COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care facilities the vast majority in the first two waves of the pandemic.
No real change with stay at home order lifted
Our province’s stay-at-home order expires tomorrow but not much will change.
Other than not being penalized for making unnecessary trips outside the home, the expiration of the order won’t see any other restrictions being eased.
That won’t happen until June 14th, at the earliest.
On that date, the first stage of the latest recovery plan will see, among other things, non-essential retail stores being allowed to reopen with capacity limits and the resumption of limited dining at restaurants and bars.
W.H.O. gives variants assigned letters
The World Health Organization is changing the way it describes the four main variants of COVID-19.
The four, first identified in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, and India, will now be assigned letters from the Greek alphabet.
The organization says the naming of the variants after the places they were first detected is discriminatory and stigmatizing.