Christine Elliott CPAC Screenshot
With Thunder Bay now considered one of the leading COVID-19 hotspots in Canada the spotlight is on what the government is doing to help.
Provincial Health Minister Christine Elliott says the province is aware of what she calls a difficult situation and they are assisting with extra supports.
“We have sent in additional case and contact managers to help support” notes the minister.
Elliott says other public health units in the province that are not as busy with the pandemic are also providing support to local health officials.
She adds there has been money allotted to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for additional beds in case it reaches capacity.
“We want to make sure that people if they do need to go to the hospital can be cared for locally. We don’t want to see people being shifted around across the province because the distances there are so great,” says the minister.
Elliott also acknowledged the outbreaks at the Thunder Bay District Jail and the Correctional Centre.
She notes “They are coming under control, but there still is a significant outbreak in homeless shelters and some areas of congregate living. That is another issue we are turning our attention to and providing additional supports.”
While the city has the highest number of cases per capita Elliott did not indicate directly whether Thunder Bay will get extra doses of vaccine.
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller is also weighing in on the crisis.
Miller says, “With the correctional facilities and schools and among the homeless population, my department’s currently working with the City of Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Urban Indigenous Task Force, the province of Ontario, to address the immediate needs of Indigenous peoples living in the area.”
The City is gaining more attention provincially over its COVID-19 situation.
In fact, there’s now a petition on-line you can sign to ask the provincial government to declare the Thunder Bay area a hotspot.
A designation would prioritize this area for vaccines for those at higher risk and those who care for them.
You can click here for details.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit reported 46 new cases and 2 related COVID-19 deaths Wednesday.
There were 414 active cases.
(With Files From Vic Krasowski and Geoff Waterfield: Thunder Bay)
