Vaccines are here — let’s do what must be done
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2021 (869 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
At the beginning of 2020 we never could have known how much would change over the coming year.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were so many unknowns. We faced a year of adjustment and adaptation, and what felt like a pause. A pause of the lives we had known up until that point.
As we start 2021, we can take back the steering wheel as we manoeuvre into the new year. Many of you have been closely following public health guidelines and restrictions. For that, I thank you. I know you are tired, lonely and struggling. But you care. You care about our many health-care workers who are putting in long hours looking after an influx of patients. You care about vulnerable people in our community who at risk of becoming very ill from COVID-19. You care about making sure our health-care system can continue to serve all people suffering from health issues or needing emergency care. You are making a difference.
Your care and action are shining lights as we move into 2021 because we have big goals for this year. With your continued efforts and the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, this will be the year we do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our beautiful community and thrive.
In 2021, we want to be able to socialize with family and friends again. We want to get out and enjoy all the gorgeous offerings of our province’s landscapes. We want to see our local businesses flourish again and have people get back to stable work. The good news is, I know you can do it. We will see this through.
It’s important to continue with all the hard work we have been doing by staying home, keeping our distance and wearing masks. Get tested if you have any symptoms, even mild ones. Plan on getting your vaccine as it becomes more widely available.
Since the vaccines began arriving in Manitoba in December, a total of 4,292 people (at the time of writing) have been immunized against COVID-19. Thousands of appointments were booked between Jan. 4 and 10 for eligible health-care workers with second dose appointments scheduled to occur from January 25 to 31.
The RBC Convention Centre vaccination super site is now open in Winnipeg and immunizations have begun at this location. As I write this, the super site currently has about 10,800 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Manitoba has also received its first shipment of 7,300 doses of Moderna vaccine, which will be used to launch the immunization campaign in First Nations communities and at personal care homes.
Manitoba will soon go live with an online dashboard to provide statistics about the immunization program.
More information about the vaccine campaign in Manitoba, including all available jobs to support immunization clinics, is available at www.manitoa.ca/vaccine
Audrey Gordon
Southdale constituency report
Audrey Gordon is the PC MLA for Southdale.