COVID-19

The Northwestern Health Unit says vaccine doses for those between the ages of six months and five years old are not available in their catchment area yet, but they are coming soon.

Health Canada approved the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for infants and pre-schoolers earlier this week, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for that age group.

Fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available tomorrow for anyone over the age of 18, as the province confirms we’re fighting the seventh wave of the ongoing pandemic.

In a virtual media briefing today, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced that those aged 18 to 59 will be eligible for the second booster dose as long as it’s been five months since your third booster and at least three months since your last COVID-19 infection.

The seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has officially hit northwestern Ontario.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority is reporting 674 active cases of COVID-19 in their catchment area, which includes 31 northern Indigenous communities.

Leadership of Kenora’s Pinecrest says 25 residents are dealing with positive COVID-19 results and are in isolation.

Michelle Spencer, Assistant Administrator and Human Resources Manager with Kenora District Home for the Aged, says the COVID-19 outbreak was initially declared on June 9, which was communicated to residents, staff and families, but not the public as a whole.

Spencer says to date, there has been a total of 25 residents who have tested positive for the virus. As a result, the following restrictions are now in place:

Manitobans are being asked for their opinion on COVID-19 vaccination plans for young children. 

Health Minister Audrey Gordon says a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years may be approved for use in Canada this summer. 

"Many Manitoba parents have been eagerly awaiting this next phase of our vaccination campaign," suggests Gordon.

She notes the province is launching a survey to help ensure the vaccine is being offered at convenient locations and so that parents and caregivers can easily access the information and resources they need.

Local healthcare experts are preparing for another wave of COVID-19 cases in Kenora this fall.

As Canada moves further and further away from the COVID-19 pandemic, more mandates to protect residents from the virus are ending, specifically for international travellers and workers in federally regulated industries.

The majority of the remaining mask mandates were lifted on June 11, despite that, a number of healthcare settings in the region have decided to keep their mask policies.  

Dryden Regional Health Centre (DRHC) announced through a social media post that they will continue to ask patients and visitors to wear a hospital-provided mask.  

The decision was made with vulnerable patients and staff in mind.  

Despite mask requirements ending in healthcare settings across the province, leadership with the Lake of the Woods District Hospital says their staff continue to see COVID-19 circulating within the community, so mask requirements will remain in place at the hospital for the time being.

With mask mandates still in place, residents are reminded that staff will continue to:

- Screen all patients, clients and visitors for symptoms of COVID-19,
- Require all individuals entering the hospital to wear a mask,
- Require all visitors to show proof of vaccination,

Many Ontarians may have forgotten that mask requirements are still in effect in certain areas of the province, but Ontario’s top doctor says almost all remaining mask mandates will be ending as of midnight tomorrow. 

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, has confirmed that mask requirements in high-risk public settings like healthcare settings, shelters, public transit and jails will expire as of 12 a.m. June 11.