Grey Bruce Public Health credits favourable COVID-19 epidemiology for allowing it to fully disband the Grey-Bruce COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force.
Members included Bruce Power, Chapman’s Ice Cream, Grey and Bruce counties, members from the agricultural, hospital, congregate-care, school, pharmacy, and social services sectors, first responders, Indigenous communities and faith-based organizations.
“I am delighted to share that we have now reached a point in Grey-Bruce where we can officially conclude the Grey-Bruce COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force,” Dr. Ian Arra, the medical officer of health for the area, said in a news release Tuesday.
The task force met regularly throughout 2021 to support Public Health’s efforts to provide first, second, and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Grey-Bruce residents, a health unit’s news release said Tuesday.
“The decision is based on favourable local epidemiology related to COVID-19,” from which Grey-Bruce “continues to emerge and recover,” the release said.
The health unit said in a separate statement it has been closely monitoring the weekly COVID-19 Provincial Scorecard over the past few months. It’s been watching the seven-day average number of cases, deaths, test positivity rates, hospitalizations and COVID-19-related ICU admissions.
“These key metrics have been consistently reassuring that the COVID-19 situation is stabilized, while the weekly indicator change continued to demonstrate lower to moderate intensity during the peak holiday season,” Dr. Rim Zayed of the health unit said in the statement.
The health unit’s website shows five current COVID-19 outbreaks: two at retirement homes, one long-term care home, at Grey Bruce Health Services’ Withdrawal Management Services and at Markdale hospital.
In a year-end newsletter, Jennifer Cornell, director of long-term care for Grey County homes, wrote that the number of cases of COVID-19 and the flu is “still concerning, so our three homes will continue with daily screening and surveillance testing.” She encouraged everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccinations and annual flu shot.
“Nearly two years ago, as Grey Bruce Public Health prepared to launch the largest mass vaccination rollout in the area’s history, we were fortunate to have representatives from a wide range of sectors and organizations step up to serve on a task force to provide their support, expertise, and feedback for this unprecedented vaccination plan,” Arra said.
“The vaccination rollout was a success – something that would not have been possible without the support of Grey-Bruce residents, who attended Hockey Hubs and other vaccine clinics, the work and dedication of the task force members and our community partners, and the many volunteers who assisted with the mass vaccination clinics.”
The Public Health release said staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines continues to be one of the best ways to protect yourself from severe outcomes from the virus.
COVID-19 vaccines, including bivalent boosters, are available at participating pharmacies and from primary-care providers in Grey-Bruce, as well as at Grey Bruce Public Health and GO-VAXX vaccine clinics.
Vaccine and clinic information is available at publichealthgreybruce.on.ca.
