CK Public Health has announced some new eligibility groups, along with a date for a mobile vaccination clinic coming to Wallaceburg.
Meanwhile, the active COVID-19 case count continues to drop across Chatham-Kent.
New eligibility groups and mobile clinic date
Beginning on April 27, 2021, CK Public Health is inviting those residents with qualifying health conditions to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment online at GetYourShotCK.ca or by calling and leaving a message at 519-351-1010.
CK Public Health officials say the following health conditions, as defined by the province in their ‘Guidance for Prioritization of Phase 2 Populations for COVID-19 Vaccination document, are now eligible:
Highest-risk health conditions:
– Organ transplant recipients
– Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
– Neurological diseases in which respiratory function may be compromised (e.g. motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis)
– Haematological malignancy diagnosed <1 year
– Kidney disease eGFR< 30
– Pregnancy
High-risk health conditions:
– Obesity (BMI > 40)
– Other treatments causing immunosuppression (e.g., chemotherapy, immunity weakening medications)
– Intellectual or developmental disabilities (e.g., Down syndrome)
At-risk health conditions:
– Immune deficiencies/autoimmune disorders
– Stroke/cerebrovascular disease
– Dementia
– Diabetes
– Liver disease
– All other cancers
– Respiratory diseases
– Spleen problems (e.g., asplenia)
– Heart disease
– Hypertension with end organ damage
– Diagnosis of mental disorder
– Substance use disorders
– Sickle cell disease
– Thalassemia
– Immunocompromising health conditions
“We would like to thank our local primary care providers who have been referring their patients in the highest and high categories for appointments,” said Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s medical officer of health, in a media release.
“With this new eligible group, we are working towards our goal in vaccinating all adults in Chatham-Kent.”
CK Public Health officials say in addition to chronic health condition categories now being eligible for vaccination, workers in licensed childcare settings will also be eligible to book a vaccination appointment starting on April 29, 2021.
Childcare staff will be provided a letter from their employer with further details.
People booking appointments will be required to confirm their eligibility when checking into their scheduled appointment time.
Those not deemed eligible will not receive a vaccination and will have to rebook an appointment when they become eligible.
Residents will be able to book from a variety of appointment dates/times over the coming weeks at the Bradley Centre Vaccination Clinic in addition to a new mobile clinic at the Wallaceburg Arena on May 21, 2021.
‘Current status’ in Chatham-Kent
The active case count has dropped by four and sits at 35 across Chatham-Kent.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit updated their ‘current situation’ page, which provides a summary of COVID-19 cases and testing in Chatham-Kent, on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
The total number of COVID-19 cases increased by four and sits at 1,759 across Chatham-Kent.
CK Public Health officials say two people remain hospitalized with COVID-19 from Chatham-Kent.
Public health officials announced eight new recoveries, increasing the total at 1,711.
One un-named workplace outbreak remains active.
22 of the active cases across Chatham-Kent are linked to close contact, five cases are linked to workplace outbreaks, five cases have information pending and three cases are unknown.
CK Public Health officials say a total of 149 Chatham-Kent residents have had COVID-19 with a variant of concern or related mutation.
Since the pandemic began last March, a total of 13 people from Chatham-Kent have died from COVID-19.
A total of 103,556 tests for the virus have been completed to date.
Public health officials say 32,664 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to date, while 31,165 people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Chatham-Kent.
More details about COVID-19 vaccination in Chatham-Kent can be found, here.
Beginning on Saturday, April 3, 2021, Chatham-Kent moved into the ‘Grey-Shutdown’ tier of the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open framework, along with the rest of the province.
The Province also declared a state of emergency and issued a ‘stay-at-home’ order for all of Ontario.
The order came into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, April 8, 2021 and is expected to last for six weeks, after Provincial officials announced on Friday they were extending it for an additional two weeks.
More details, here.
To view the full ‘current situation’ page from CK Public Health, click here.
For more information about COVID-19, residents are asked to visit
http://www.ckpublichealth.com/covid19Â or call the CK Public Health COVID-19 intake line at 519-355-1071 ex. 1900.
