Vaccinations could provide people with a better summer
Codroy area given all-clear after small outbreak of coronavirus that involved local school
As Newfoundland and Labrador passed the halfway point in giving every willing, eligible resident at least one dose of vaccine Wednesday, questions at the weekly COVID19 briefing in St. John’s quickly turned to the prospect of throwing open the shutters with respect to health restrictions.
When will the province go to Alert Level 1, that mythical “Life after COVID” stage where everything is back to normal, or as normal as it can be?
Premier Andrew Furey said talks have been heating up across the country as vaccination rates continue to climb and COVID-19 cases slowly fall.
“It allows us to continue working on reopening plans, which you’ll be hearing more about in the coming days and weeks,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said the question hinges on more than vaccination numbers — it depends on the epidemiology in hotspots such as Alberta and Ontario, as well as more solid evidence on whether vaccinations prevent transmission of the coronavirus and serious illness.
While Fitzgerald didn’t mention it, research on the latter front has mostly been positive.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recently released a model of what relaxed restrictions Canadians could expect if the country reached a threshold of 75 per cent first doses and 20 per cent second doses by the summer.
Canada’s top health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, admitted Friday there are too many variables for the guidance to be firm.
“But I think having an aspirational target is really a good thing for everyone to aim for,” she said.
In fact, the freedoms envisioned in the PHAC 75-20 scenario would add little to this province’s Alert Level 2 allowances: camping, hiking, picnics and patio gatherings.
Nonetheless, Health Minister Dr. John Haggie told reporters Wednesday the province would still look to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) for recommendations.
“NACI has provided the bedrock for our guidelines so far, and we would use those to shape our discussions over the next few weeks,” he said.
SECOND DOSE PLANS
Meanwhile, residents in the 55-64 age range who received the Astrazeneca vaccine in the past couple of months may be able to get their second doses sooner than expected.
Since the province stopped offering the controversial vaccine as a first dose last week, questions have swirled among those who already received a shot.
Fitzgerald said the province — and national officials — are keeping an eye on a U.K. study that is looking at the efficacy of using different vaccines as a second dose.
But she said the province is still committed to offering the same vaccine as a second dose, and may move up the appointments of those who were automatically booked for a 16-week wait.
The best evidence suggests a 12-week interval between shots is the most effective, she said, but no one will qualify in time to use up 1,480 doses expected to expire at the end of May.
“Unfortunately, that 12 weeks won’t be up by the end of this month. But hopefully next month we will be able to offer second doses to people.”
Haggie said the province won’t let the vaccine die in storage.
“Absent any firm guidance from Public Health that we can use these appropriately, we will repatriate them to federal supply chains so they can be distributed to other jurisdictions.”
He also said Moderna second doses may happen earlier, if that company irons out its distribution issues.
MAY 24TH WEEKEND
Fitzgerald heralded the upcoming holiday long weekend as a good time to get outside, but warned against lapses in judgment. Mask regulations are still in place, and informal gatherings — even outdoor ones — are limited to 20 people.
“Law enforcement does have the authority to charge anyone in violation of special measures orders,” Fitzgerald said. “I strongly encourage parents and guardians to pay close attention to any plans their teenagers have for the weekend ahead, not only to ensure it is legally permitted, but because it is the right thing to do.”
Residents of the Codroyport aux Basques area will at least be free to enjoy the weekend like everyone else.
After an outbreak of the coronavirus in a regional school prompted community testing and a reversion to Alert Level 4, Fitzgerald said community spread has not been detected and gave the all-clear to revert back to Alert Level 2 today.
Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador saw its active COVID-19 decrease Wednesday.
There were three new cases and eight recoveries reported Wednesday, leaving a total of 75 active cases in the province.
That total does not include a presumptive positive that remains under investigation, but does include another presumptive case announced Tuesday and since confirmed.