*Please see below a media release issued by the Region of Halton.
The Regional Municipality of Halton
For Immediate Release
January 21, 2021
On January 20, Halton Regional Council passed a resolution calling upon the Federal Government to accelerate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to support the needs and expectations of Canadians, and residents of Halton region.
“We have a responsibility to stand up for our residents and do everything we can to keep them safe. Our Public Health team and many partners have been working so hard to get these life-saving vaccines to our most vulnerable populations. There is tremendous planning that happens behind the scenes and without the ongoing, predictable supply of vaccines, their plans are forced to change and the risk of severe illness or death rises. I cannot thank our Health Department enough for all they are doing, even in the midst of daily changes, to vaccinate those who need it most.” — Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr
Starting in mid-January, Halton Region Public Health and Halton Region Paramedic Services began vaccination for residents and staff at long-term care and retirement homes, aligned with the Province’s vaccine implementation plan, using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. These mobile teams have been working 7 days a week to transport vaccines from the hospital to each home and complete first dose vaccinations for these priority groups, contingent on supply.
“This news is another significant change, requiring us to pivot our plans on short notice. While these changes are a challenge, this has not stopped our efforts to get the vaccine to our most vulnerable. We are continuing with our current supply and working with our partners to get the first dose to all long-term care home residents by the end of this week, conditional of supply. I would like to thank our Paramedic Services team and hospital partners for their ongoing commitment and dedication to this effort.” — Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health
The resolution also requests that both Federal and Provincial governments clearly and consistently communicate to the public on priority populations eligible for vaccination and the timing of delivery for each priority population and the general public.
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is an inter-governmental effort with clear roles and responsibilities.
- The Federal Government is responsible for procuring and distributing all approved COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces and territories.
- The Provincial Government is responsible for determining where the doses will go, who will receive them and when. The details of the Province’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan, including their plans to receive, store and distribute the vaccine can be found on their COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario website.
- Halton Region Public Health works closely with partners to administer the vaccine as quickly and equitably as possible to priority populations. Current priority populations are residents, staff and essential caregivers of long-term care and high-risk retirement homes.
To get the latest on the status on Halton Region’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program, information on vaccine safety and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit Halton’s COVID-19 Vaccine webpage. This page is updated as the situation evolves, and residents are asked to check this page regularly for the latest updates.
RELATED LINK:
- A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.
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PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.
A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.
Halton Region has also created a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine webpage for up to date information on the status of our COVID19 vaccination program.
A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.
To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.
We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.
HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:
- Community questions and requests regarding City of Burlington services can be directed to Service Burlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online.
- Halton Region has created a Reopening Schools resource webpage for parents, students and teachers at halton.ca/covid19.
- For further COVID-19 information, including where to get tested, please visit Halton Region Public Health halton.ca/coronavirus
- Residents can stay informed at burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
- Questions about the cancellation of Recreation programs can be directed to rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738
- City of Burlington: www.burlington.ca/coronavirus
- Resources for Residents & Non-Profit Organizations: www.burlington.ca/covid19resources.
- Halton Region: www.halton.ca/coronavirus
- Government of Ontario: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
- Provincial Emergency Orders: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200052
- Government of Canada: www.canada.ca/coronavirus
- World Health Organization: www.who.int
- Joseph Brant Hospital: josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19
- Team Burlington Business Supports: burlingtonchamber.com/team-burl-supporting-burl-business-during-covid-19/
- Burlington Food Bank: call 905-637-CARE (2273), or visit burlingtonfoodbank.ca
- Food for Life: call 905-635-1106 and press 7, or visit foodforlife.ca
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Halton Branch: call 289-291-5396, or visit halton.cmha.ca
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*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist