Accessible vaccine clinic opens appointments for deaf, hard of hearing community in Grand Rapids
Updated May 06, 2021;
Posted May 06, 2021
Grand Rapids deaf, deaf/blind and hard of hearing community will be able to attend an accessibility-first COVID-19 vaccine clinic starting May 10. (MLive file photo)Joel Bissell | MLive.com
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KENTWOOD, MI Grand Rapids Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services is increasing vaccine accessibility to the area’s deaf, deaf/blind and hard of hearing communities.
The organization is working with the Kent County Health Department for two COVID-19 vaccination clinics tailored toward breaking down barriers tied to mainstream clinics.
The clinics will feature American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and accommodations like Pocket Talkers to ease communication between guests and vaccine administers, said Phil de Haan, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services communications consultant, in a statement.
Saskatoon / 650 CKOM
Apr 6, 2021 2:25 PM
Finance Minister Donna Harpauer answers questions on the 2021-22 provincial budget on April 6, 2021. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
COVID-19 has left Saskatchewan in a bigger hole than originally expected.
Before delivering the 2021-22 budget at the Saskatchewan legislature on Tuesday, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said it was difficult to overstate the impact of the pandemic.
“It was not only a worldwide health crisis; the COVID-19 pandemic is also the largest shock to the Saskatchewan, Canadian, and world economies of any event since the Second World War,” Harpauer told reporters.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge that requires a significant response.”
The budget’s focus, she said in an embargoed news conference Tuesday morning, is on protecting the “health and public safety of Saskatchewan people and the province s economy in the fight against COVID-19,” while making “record investments in health care, education, social services, and the protection of people and property.” This budget “will protect Saskatchewan people through the pandemic, as more vaccines are delivered and life begins to return to normal, Harpauer said in speaking to reporters in an embargoed news conference Tuesday. This budget will build Saskatchewan by investing in new long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, highways and vital municipal infrastructure. And as our province and our economy emerges from the pandemic, this budget will grow Saskatchewan through incentives and key investments, while keeping life affordable for families.
COVID helps push Saskatchewan forecast deficit to $2 6 billion cjme.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cjme.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
REGINA Saskatchewan s 2021-22 budget shows the province is still feeling the financial affects of the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a forecasted $2.6 billion deficit for the fiscal year. For the second year in a row, the budget focuses heavily on health, education and social services spending to ease assist with pandemic-related costs. Deficits are projected to continue over the next three years, at $1.7 billion in 2022-23, $1.2 billion in 2023-24 and $770 million in 2024-25. Based on these projections, Saskatchewan will see seven straight years of deficits through 2025, after posting deficits in each budget since 2018-19. Forecasts for both revenue and expenses are up from 2020-21. Total expense of $17.1 billion is expected this fiscal year, up $1 billion, or 6.3 per cent, from last year s budget. These expenses are also up $1.1 billion from the current 2020-21 forecast.