First COVID-19 clinic held at Picton Community Centre

Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson shared this photograph taken at the first COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Prince Edward Community Centre March 16.

The first mass immunization COVID-19 clinic took place Tuesday at the Community Centre in Picton. Approximately 360 County residents 80 years of age and older received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

“This is great news and gives me hope that we can finally get the upper hand on this virus,” said Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson. “Many thanks to our municipal staff for the orderly way today’s clinic was organized and run, and to the healthcare professionals who logged appointments, filled syringes did the injections.”

Variants of concern are now accounting for more than half of all new COVID-19 cases in the province. The Ontario Hospital Association issued a statement saying more people are ending up in intensive care wards, and that the province has likely entered a third wave of the coronavirus.

In Hastings Prince Edward there have been no new cases reported for the past three days. There are eight active cases – with six variants of concern.

Monday, the province launched its online system for booking vaccine appointments for people aged 80 and older at Ontario.ca/bookvaccine. Hastings Prince Edward Health (HPEPH) is encouraging people to sign up to receive notification for when their age group is available. Click here for link.  They are also asking Indigenous and people with certain high-risk chronic conditions to register.

HPEPH has given 13,207 vaccinations and 1,345 people are full immunized – including all residents in local long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes.

With the vaccine supply stabilizing HPEPH anticipates Phase 2 will begin in the region in April. Groups in that phase include:
Older adults between 60-79 years of age;
Individuals with specific health conditions and some primary caregivers;
People who live and work in congregate settings and some primary caregivers;
People who live in hot spots with high rates of death, hospitalizations and transmission; and,
Certain workers who cannot work from home.

HPEPH asks people to continue to follow the five fundamental actions:
• Stay home when you’re ill.
• Always maintain physical distance from those outside your household.
• Wear a mask or face covering in public spaces, as well as when physical distancing is difficult or not possible.
• Wash your hands often, and clean frequently touched surfaces.
• Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.