Getting Niagara vaccinated critical, says top doctor
New case counts remain low in region, Hirji says
Niagara has reached a new milestone in its long march against the COVID-19 virus.
More than 50 per cent of Niagara’s 450,000 residents are now fully vaccinated, putting it well on the way to the 75 per cent level where Dr. Mustafa Hirji, the region’s acting medical officer of health, said Niagarans can return to normal life.
“Once we get to 75 per cent, we can stop wearing masks and go back to normal and not have to worry about our hospitals being overwhelmed,” Hirji said.
“Until we get there, there is always the risk that we could see what’s happening in the U.S. and the U.K. Until then, we need to be careful and cautious about reopening while we keep getting more people vaccinated.”
On Sunday, Hirji posted on Twitter that Canada is rising to the top of the chart of countries with the largest portions of their populations vaccinated. Starting at the beginning of June, Canada’s percentage has increased exponentially and in recent weeks it passed the United States, France and Italy and stands behind world leaders Israel and the United Kingdom.
Hirji finished his tweet with an entreaty: “We’re rising to the
top of the chart! But others slowed down when they got to this level. Let’s not do that here!”
South of the border, the Washington Post reported Saturday coronavirus infections in the U.S. rose nearly 70 per cent in a single week while hospitalizations and deaths rose 36 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively. Almost every state has experienced a rise in cases, and the increase is almost entirely driven by people who are not vaccinated but are returning to pre-pandemic behaviours.
Florida is seeing a surge in cases. In hot spots such as Arkansas and Missouri, COVID-19 wards are opening up again in hospitals.
“It’s like we’ve been to this movie several times in the last year and a half, and it doesn’t end well,” Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told the Post. “Somehow, we’re running the tape again. It’s all predictable.”
Last week, Niagara averaged 3.7 new cases per day, with the weekly high of seven cases on Thursday. The low was one new case each on Tuesday and Friday. In addition, Niagara Health reported it had just one COVID-19 patient in its ICU on Friday (the last day statistics were available).
Nonetheless, Hirji said Niagara residents should be concerned about what is happening south of the border.
“It is absolutely something we need to worry about,” Hirji said. “If we look around the world, we see a resurgence of COVID just about everywhere due to the Delta variant.
“If you look at the U.K., they have a huge new wave going on right now, and they are one of the world leaders in getting vaccines done. Israel, which was the world leader in getting vaccines done, is seeing their cases multiplying rapidly. France, Italy, South Korea, Australia — all over the world, they are seeing the cases are going up because of the Delta variant, and that could happen here in Ontario as well.”
Hirji said there are safeguards: A slow and steady reopening and a continued push to get more Niagara residents vaccinated. The slow and steady reopening allows officials enough time between each stage to gauge whether the changes are fuelling new cases.
“If you haven’t signed up for your vaccines, do so right away,” Hirji said. “There are a lot of vaccines available and lots of options so that you won’t have a long wait. We need to get that number up to 75 per cent so we are not at risk of another wave of infections. We have a way to go still, but we’re making good progress.”