Send staff and gear, not shots

Many of us are watching the situation in Ontario with concern and compassion.

The third COVID-19 wave has crashed hard in a province that is home to 38 per cent of Canada’s population. It had a record 4,812 cases on Friday and more than 4,200 every day since. Projections show Ontario could reach 30,000 cases per day by June. Premier Doug Ford blames his province’s COVID situation on Ottawa, but still called on the federal government for help.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) took that a step further, issuing an “urgent call for unprecedented measures” to help combat the third wave in Ontario and elsewhere. The association encouraged Ottawa to refocus vaccine distribution, so that hardest-hit areas get more shots sooner.

"As the third wave of the pandemic wreaks havoc, we are at a critical juncture where a truly national approach to combating COVID-19 will make the difference between more or fewer lives saved,” said association president Dr. Ann Collins.

“This country must come together to help support provinces most severely impacted.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s working with provinces and territories to help Ontario and he spoke with the premiers of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island on Saturday afternoon.

“They’re working hard to free up whatever human resources or equipment they could free up over the coming days,” Trudeau said in a video posted on Twitter on Sunday.

While all three are offering to help with people and equipment, the premiers have stopped short of offering vaccines.

“Things can change really quickly in any province, and so I think it’s incumbent on us to make sure that we say to the federal government that we expect to get our vaccine,” Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin said during a COVID-19 briefing on Friday.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey held a similar position.

“When it comes to vaccines, it is only fair for the per capita model to continue,” Furey said. “Given the dynamic nature of this pandemic, any province or territory could be in a serious situation at any point.”

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said Monday there’s been no formal request for vaccines and the best thing the province can do for the country is to get Islanders vaccinated as quickly as possible. This is the right approach.

The vaccination schedule for Atlantic Canada should not be disrupted because of an outbreak in another province. The per capita model offers the fairest level of distribution.

It’s an ethical dilemma for some Atlantic Canadians, because we have a history of helping others. People here want to do their part. That’s laudable, but we can help Ontario with human resources and equipment rather than giving up vaccines.

We can also offer an example to follow. The Atlantic approach to COVID-19 demonstrates the power of strong policy and public health education in keeping cases low and containing outbreaks.