As of Thursday, The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has administered 8,221 COVID-19 vaccines.
The District’s Director of COVID-19 Immunization Strategy Andrea McLellan said there were certainly initial challenges when the provincial booking system went live on Monday.
However, she said the issues were resolved and the system seems to be working now.
McLellan says over the next two weeks the health unit will be providing vaccination clinics for individuals born in or before 1941, with over 5000 eligible individuals already booked.
“Over the next week, or so we expect to immunize over 5,700 individuals as we continue to work our way through the phase one priority populations,” McLellan said.
She adds, “As well as our over 80 population, this includes second doses for retirement home residents, the ongoing rollout of vaccines for Indigenous populations, First Responders and ongoing vaccinations in Long-Term Care Homes as well as planning for the immunization of community-based health care workers.”
McLellan said next up the health unit is working towards two groups, home healthcare workers and community healthcare providers.
Those with chronic medical conditions will be in Phase Two she added, “It will be a combination of age categories as well as consideration for medical conditions that will work through in the second Phase,”
As for what to expect on Monday at the actual vaccine clinics, McLellan said clients will arrive at the door where they’ll be screened for COVID-19 and to ensure that they have an appointment.
Next, they’ll proceed to the registration desk where they will be checked in and then taken to the area where the immunizations are occurring on the rink floor.
She added that there will also be a section in Memorial Gardens for people who may have some mobility issues.
Once immunized, there’s a post-immunization waiting area where they will wait 15 minutes before being escorted out of the building.
“The flow of it is a one-way flow, people who are leaving don’t pass by people who are entering into the system and so we have lots of people booked to help guide people through the flow and lots of people booked to help provide immunizations […] we have 900 people booked to be immunized on Monday at Memorial Gardens […] just over 500 people booked in Parry Sound, 300 in Mattawa, and around 450 people in Sunridge on Tuesday,” said McLellan.
She said the health unit books clinics based on the number of doses anticipated to ensure a sufficient supply of vaccines.