A Plan

You probably don't need to hear about what is happening on our pandemic front, but I'm going to get it down anyway. It is of some importance after all. Please read to the end, where I repost a rant by my daughter on social media.

Yesterday the provincial new case count was way down. From being >3000 not long ago, it was down to 745 yesterday. I understand that some of that was due to a change in counting and reporting methodology, but it is still significant, I think. We'll have to see how the numbers track, but we do know that they were declining before this report.

Also reported yesterday by Prime Minister Trudeau was that Canada is finally going to open a vaccine manufacturing plant, specifically for the Novavax vaccine. Novavax is a Maryland-based company that claims to have produced a 89% effective vaccine in a UK trial and is seeking regulatory approval here in Canada -- and elsewhere as well, I expect.

Hopefully, this will put us less at the mercy of the EU which, quite understandably, puts their own interests first. Both Pfizer and Moderna have cut back shipments recently, but I think in both cases it has been done short term in order to ramp up production in the long term. I don't think the recent drop was particularly political.

Meanwhile, I have been wondering about how we have been doing overall, I did discover some numbers yesterday. These just refer to our local, rural health district.

• We are still in Stage 1 of the rollout (more about stages, below) -- delivering to long term care residents and staff.
• Ten more of those sites were completed last week: a total of 645 individuals.
• Altogether, 1717 people have been vaccinated.

Now, onto The Plan itself.

We are not getting the vaccines delivered as quickly as some countries, but we do have a plan. It is an orderly plan, which is very Canadian. We will all await our turn, which in our (Sue and me) case, as stage 5 (see red text below) people, is projected to be in May at the earliest. I was hoping for April, but with delays by both Pfizer and Moderna, it doesn't appear as though that will happen.

For Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Facebook friends. This is the latest data on the vaccine roll-out, copied from their notice. The whole notice is also available on the Lanark Highlands website.

Stage 1: Long-Term Care Homes/High risk Retirement Homes Staff, Residents and Designated Essential Care Givers

Stage 2: Health Care Workers (HCW) at high risk of COVID-19 exposure (hospital staff, EMS, Medical First Responders, Assessment Centre Staff)

Stage 3: Health Care Workers at lower risk of COVID-19 exposure (those that can apply other public health measures and reschedule if someone doesn’t pass the screening) and residents and staff of congregate living facilities (such group homes, shelters, low risk retirement homes)

Stage 4: Essential Workers (First responders, teachers, food industry, etc)

Stage 5: High Risk population (to be defined by Ministry of Health) and beginning of age cohorting (ages 70+ to start)

Stage 6: All others in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark that are 16 + and would like the vaccine

The Tentative When:

Stage 1:

January – February: First dose*

February – March: Second dose*

Stage 2:

February – March: First dose*

March – April: Second dose*

Stage 3:

April – May: First dose*

May – June: Second dose*

Stage 4:

May – June: First dose*

June – July: Second dose*

Stage 5:

May – June: First dose*

June – July: Second dose*

The timeline comports with what we have been told for awhile: that the delivery might be pretty well completed by about September.

Finally, and also yesterday as is everything in this post, my daughter posted a touching rant.

Our seniors that reside in LTC and retirement homes face more and more restrictions because the general public can’t control themselves and just abide by the rules. 

 

A lot of these seniors are in their 70s and 80s. A lot of them are fully mobile, have access to cars, are independent and although they are perfectly able, they follow the rules and don’t go out, participate in activities, visits friends, hug their families.

 

If you can’t say that you are doing the same, you are the reason that they face more rules and isolation. You are the reason that healthcare workers, front line staff and seniors are facing depression, despair and more.

 

You. Yeah you. Thanks. I haven’t seen my folks aside to drop groceries on their porch. I wear a mask all day at work. I see how our employees are getting So. Worn. Down. I see how our beloved seniors are missing their families. They’re going through hard times and only able to connect over FaceTime. They’re doing it because you can’t be bothered and I’m sick to death of it.

Suck. It. Up!.