By the end of the day Tuesday, nearly 3,000 healthcare workers and the residents of seven long-term care homes in Windsor Essex will have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Ontario government has now implemented a plan that will see all residents, health care workers and essential caregivers at long-term care homes in the priority regions, like Windsor-Essex, receive a COVID-19 vaccination by January 21, 2021.
The health unit continues the rollout of the Moderna vaccine to residents in long-term care homes that are not experiencing an outbreak. However, it has also expanded the rollout to include those in some who are not exhibiting symptoms in facilities where there is an outbreak too.
“Residents who are negative, and are in the affected unit; they can get the vaccine. Residents who are in the non-affected unit; they can also get the vaccine,” said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed. “Previously positive cases, who are now resolved; they can also get the vaccine.”
Anyone who has COVID-19 or who fails the COVID-19 screening on the day of the vaccine will not be administered the vaccine.
On Monday, Windsor Regional Hospital received a second shipment of the Pfizer vaccine, and it continues to vaccinate about 500 people a day.
At this time, the hospital is not saving doses for the second round of the vaccine and continues to vaccinate people every day.
“Although this tests your nerves to use all the vaccines up, the goal is to not have vaccines in freezers but in people’s arms. That is the marching orders from our General Rick Hillier, the head of the Vaccination Task Force, and we will follow it without question. It is the right thing to do,” stated WRH President and CEO David Musyj. “I had a chance to talk to General Hillier who is heading the Vaccine Task Force. He is a true Canadian hero. He stated being on the defence in a war - a war on COVID-19 - is stressful, depressing and tiring. It is hard to motivate the troops when just trying to stay alive. Now with the vaccine, we are on the offensive. It is exhilarating. Energizing and motivating. We need to keep this energy as we continue this war and hopefully turn the tables on COVID-19 and beat this enemy.”
If the supply were there, Musyj said the hospital could vaccinate up to 1,000 people a day.
“As a province and hospital, we are doing all we can do to get vaccines into people’s arms. We need supply to increase in order to vaccinate more,” Musyj said.
Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine require two doses. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine should be administered after 21 days of the first while the Moderna doses are to be given 28 days apart.
On Tuesday morning, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit reported 174 new cases of COVID-19 in the region.
Among the new cases, 25 cases are outbreak-related, four cases are close contacts of confirmed cases, and two cases are community-acquired. The remaining cases are still under investigation.
The health unit also reported three more deaths connected to COVID-19. A man in his 60s, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s, all who lived in the general community, have passed away due to COVID-19.
There are 2,471 known active cases of COVID-19 in the region. The health unit is monitoring 47 outbreaks in the community.
Local hospitals are treating 102 patients who have tested positive for the virus. There are 15 patients in the intensive care unit.
