Fort Frances, ON, Canada / 93.1 The Border
Feb 3, 2021 7:14 AM
Delsie Cumming was among the first residents at Rainycrest Long Term care to receive the first dose of Moderna vaccine, Jan. 27, 2021. Photo courtesy Riverside Health Care Facilities.
The Northwestern Health Unit is on track to vaccinate all long-term care residents against COVID-19 by February 10.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says 100 per cent of doses received have gone to long-term care homes across the region.
“This is over 300 shots, and currently, 68 per cent of long-term care home residents have now received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
TORONTO Planes filled with precious cargo prepared for takeoff this morning as Operation Remote Immunity, a program aiming at bringing the vaccine to fly-in communities in Ontario, officially took flight. Operation Remote Immunity will deliver the Moderna vaccine to 31 First Nation communities in Northern Ontario, most of which can only be reached by air. Neskantaga First Nation Chief Christopher Moonias was the first to roll up his sleeve and get vaccinated in his community. He shared the experience on Facebook Live to demonstrate his confidence in the vaccine. âThose are the guys that are waiting to be vaccinated,â he said in the video, panning to show people waiting in a spaced out line in the hallway. âWe got about 40 people today coming, 30 tomorrow, and more the day after.â
TORONTO Canada has administered more than 859,100 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 116,000 second doses. Here’s what else you need to know to start your day.
1. Trudeau-Harris call: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday about a series of cross-border issues, including the Democrats Buy American policy, according to his office.
2. Vaccines head north: Planes filled with precious cargo prepared for takeoff this morning as Operation Remote Immunity, a program aiming to get the vaccine to fly-in communities in Ontario, officially took flight.
3. Vaccine patent: Humanitarian Stephen Lewis, the former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, is calling on the World Trade Organization to suspend patents for some COVID-19 vaccines to improve access for low-income countries.
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Operation Remote Immunity, which began Tuesday, Ontario will initially administer vaccine to 31 remote-access First Nations, including five members of Matawa First Nations.
The project excludes road-access First Nations such as Aroland, Long Lake # 58, Ginoogaming, and Constance Lake, all of which have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks.
A letter from Matawa First Nations to General Rick Hillier (retired) on behalf of the four communities calls for their inclusion in the first phase of the province s vaccination program.
Hillier chairs the vaccine distribution task force.
The letter expresses frustration that the Matawa First Nations with outbreaks are currently left out of the program, and says that at the very least, any surplus vaccine from Operation Remote Immunity should be earmarked for them.
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OTTAWA, TRADITIONAL UNCEDED ALGONQUIN TERRITORY, ON, Jan. 27, 2021 /CNW/ - Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is closely monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases reported in First Nations communities across the country. The number of reported active cases decreased this week in First Nations communities with 3508 active cases reported as of January 26, 2021. We have seen important fluctuations of newly reported case numbers in the past week.
Even with the arrival of vaccines, it is essential that everyone continue to follow public health measures including physical distancing, wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and non-essential travel, staying home when sick, and keeping up with frequent hand, cough and surface hygiene. The combination of