The first COVID-19 vaccines in northwestern Ontario have been administered.
Personal Support Worker Sean Bolton was the first person to receive the Pfizer vaccine this morning at the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre.
The hospital is the regional distribution point right now due to limited doses province-wide.
The most vulnerable population and health care workers will be the first to receive the vaccine.
Hospital officials say this is a historic milestone and a turning point in the pandemic.
Planning for the next phase is still underway but the focus will be on long term care homes.
Officials stress the process and logistics are complex.
The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered over the course of the next few weeks.
Those who receive the vaccine will return for a second dose after 21 days.
The vaccine comes on a day a 14th resident has passed away from COVID-19 at the Southbridge Roseview long-term care home.
The facility says there are now 14 active resident cases, and eight staff affected.
Meanwhile, Thunder Bay’s District Health unit adds there are another 14 new cases Tuesday, 13 of those catching the virus from someone else with it, one person is pending those results.
All are from the Thunder Bay and surrounding areas.