THUNDER BAY – Employers of essential frontline workers are being asked to submit information to the Thunder Bay Public Health Unit, as authorities prepare to begin vaccinating them under the province’s vaccine priority plan.
The health unit cautioned it did not yet have a firm timeline for when vaccination of those essential workers would begin, but noted the province’s timelines indicate immunization for the groups could start around mid-May and last through the end of June.
“The order and pace of advancing through these groups of workers will depend on various factors, including the current and future policy direction from the provincial government, the number of workers who qualify in each category and vaccine supply,” the health unit said in a statement Tuesday.
That s one fewer than what was reported on Saturday.
In its daily update on the situation, the hospital also said Monday that 11 of the 44 patients are receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit, compared with 12 on Saturday.
The TBRHSC moved its internal COVID-19 response level to Grey (lockdown) on Friday after declaring a COVID-19 outbreak in the 1A Medical Unit, leaving the 24 beds in that unit unavailable for admissions.
As of Monday, the overall occupancy rate in the hospital is 73 per cent, compared with 78 per cent on Friday.
TBRHSC has 495 funded beds, including those designated for Alternate Level of Care at the Transitional Care Unit at Hogarth Riverview Manor.
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, joined by Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell, speaks at a news conference at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre on Friday, September 21, 2018. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)
TORONTO – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath wants to know why Premier Doug Ford isn’t sending a ‘whole bunch’ of vaccines to Thunder Bay.
Health Minister Christine Elliott responded, saying more vaccines will be delivered. But she stopped short of providing a timeline.
“We have sent significant resources in there to help them deal with that. We have provided 20 assigned provincial case managers that have gone up there. They’ve asked for 10 more, they’re going to do that,” Elliott said, adding she’s also spoken to federal health minister Patty Hajdu, who also happens to be the Liberal MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North.