Vaccines next week for Cape Breton guest homes

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's COVID-19 vaccination program is ongoing, with 7,600 doses given to date.

On Monday, the first longterm care vaccination clinic was set up in Northwood's Halifax and Bedford locations. In addition to Northwood, immunization is underway at Shannex's Parkstone Enhanced Care and Ocean View locations.

At a briefing Friday, Premier Stephen Mcneil said residents, designated caregivers, and health-care workers at two more long-term care homes will start receiving the Moderna vaccine next week. The homes, which are located in Cape Breton, are Shannex's Harbourstone Enhanced Care and Northside Community Guest Home.

Starting next week, vaccination numbers will be reported twice a week, said Mcneil.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, said volunteer staff worked long hours on Thursday to ensure all eligible Northwood Halifax staff and designated caregivers completed their first dose of the vaccine.

This week also marked the first vaccination clinic for health-care workers in Cape Breton and the Annapolis Valley. Strang said another clinic will be open next week at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro.

So far, 2,200 frontline health-care workers have received two shots.

Four additional coldstorage sites will be set up in Yarmouth, Bridgewater, Antigonish, and Amherst. Vaccination in these areas is expected to start in February.

CONSISTENT SUPPLY NOT GUARANTEED

Nova Scotia received slightly over 13,000 doses of COVID19 vaccines up until Friday.

“All of that has either gone into people's arms, mostly for first dose, some for a second dose. And all the rest are being held back and is scheduled to go into somebody's arm for a second dose,” said Strang.

On Thursday, the province received 10,000 additional doses.

Due to the strict temperature requirements for vaccine storage, the packages will be opened, repackaged, and shipped to the cold storage locations across the province. Strang said the process takes time.

“That 10,000 doses of vaccine will start to go into people's arms on Monday and will be used by the end of the week,” said Strang.

“It's an ongoing balancing act to ensure what we receive goes out to clinics in a timely way.”

He added that it's the

province's goal to ensure vaccines are distributed to the clinics in an equitable manner to prevent any waste

or shortages.

Mcneil said Moderna vaccines are expected to arrive every three weeks, while Pfizer-biontech vaccines are expected to arrive weekly. The province will continue to

hold back half of the vaccine supply for second doses.

“We'll continue to do this until we're guaranteed there will be no interruption in supply,” he said. “And right now, we don't have

that guarantee.”

TWO NEW CASES

The province is reporting two new cases on Friday. One case is in the northern health zone and the other case is in

the central health zone. Both cases are close contacts of previously reported cases.

There are 32 known active cases in Nova Scotia as of Friday. No one is in hospital in relation to the disease.