Rick Walker a Maintenance Supervisor at Riverview Gardens Long-Term Care Home in Chatham was the first health care worker in Chatham-Kent to get vaccinated at the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the John Bradley Convention Centre. February 23, 2021. (Photo submitted by CKHA)Rick Walker a Maintenance Supervisor at Riverview Gardens Long-Term Care Home in Chatham was the first health care worker in Chatham-Kent to get vaccinated at the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the John Bradley Convention Centre. February 23, 2021. (Photo submitted by CKHA)
Chatham

Positive steps taken to get more vaccinated in Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent's top doctor is pleased the province is going to step up and take measures to vaccinate temporary foreign workers against COVID-19 upon arrival at Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby has been advocating for temporary workers to get their shots when they land and believes that a provincial plan is already underway or soon will be.

"That really is a tremendously positive step," said Colby.

Colby asked the federal government a couple of months ago to consider it but his recommendation wasn't included when Ottawa recently announced new health and safety measures for the migrant workers.

Colby said the public health unit in Chatham-Kent is still developing a plan to determine the best way to get local farm workers already on the job vaccinated. He said they will either be transported to a vaccination clinic or a mobile clinic will be sent to the farms. He said living in bunkhouses is the main source of spreading the virus among agri-food workers. Temporary Foreign Workers are included in Phase 2 of the provincial vaccination plan, which is currently underway.

Chatham-Kent Public Health reported on Thursday that nearly 26,000 doses have been administered in the municipality. Colby said that almost 25,000 people or 27 per cent of the population 16 and over have received at least one dose. He is hoping for a vaccination rate higher than 75 per cent and said the municipality is well on its way.

Two mobile vaccination clinics will be available in Wheatley and Highgate next week for those eligible. The Wheatley Arena clinic on April 15 will be held between 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. by appointment only. It will be a drive-thru clinic but there will be an option for those without a vehicle. The Highgate clinic will be at the Mary Webb Centre on April 17 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. by appointment only. Click here for a full listing of clinics and details.

The President and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Lori Marshall reported three patients in the COVID-19 unit but one doesn't reside in Chatham-Kent. Marshall said one of the patients is in intensive care. She also said there are two hospital staff members who are infected with the novel coronavirus and 16 other staff are isolating.

Marshall added patients are being moved throughout the province because cases continue to rise and ICUs are filling up and her hospital is bracing to receive COVID-19 patients from other areas if there's enough capacity. She said it took about two weeks to flatten the curve across Ontario the last time there was a stay at home order and expects the cases to climb for a while longer.

Chatham-Kent had 56 active cases on Thursday, a drop of six from the previous day. The number of outbreaks remains at five, three in workplaces, one at Meadow Park Nursing Home in Chatham and one at Hudson Manor Retirement Home in Tilbury.

Walpole Island First Nation had 13 active cases, one more than it had on Wednesday.

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