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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the delay would not affect plans to have enough vaccines available for every Canadian who wanted to be vaccinated by fall.
Meanwhile, all residents in Ottawa’s long-term care homes have had the opportunity to be vaccinated — and that is cause for celebration, Etches said.
According to data from 24 of Ottawa’s 28 LTC homes, about 96 per cent of LTC residents have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with data from the other four homes expected to follow.
“We are so pleased to have reached this milestone,” Etches said. “We still need the protection of staying two metres apart. That is what this lockdown is all about.”
Next on the priority list are residents of retirement homes and other older adults in congregate settings, older adults in Indigenous communities and people with chronic conditions receiving home care.
Etches says Ottawa’ is ready to get vaccines to people as soon as the doses are available. Retirement homes have already been preparing for the arrival of the vaccine by ensuring that consent forms have been signed, she said.
So far, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been available in Ottawa.
Etches said she has not received word on if or when the Moderna vaccine would be available in Ottawa. Moderna’s rollout has so far been prioritized for northern communities that do not have access to the specialized freezers needed to keep the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at -70 C. The Moderna vaccine is shipped at -20 C.
