By Cecilia Nasmith

As far as she can tell, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking said at this week's Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit media scrum, this region did – for all intents and purposes - meet Premier Doug Ford's target of 65% of the population getting at least a first COVID-19 vaccination by May 31.

Figures are updated each Monday, she explained, and on that date 64.6% of residents aged 18 and over met that criterion. Since two days have passed, she said it's probably safe to assume the 65% threshold has been reached.

Dr. Bocking gave a series of numbers that she said are heading in the right direction.

To date, the HKPR jurisdiction has had 2,059 confirmed cases of which 75 are currently active – 11 of them in Northumberland County. Test positivity is 2.2%

“We are hoping this is really reaching the end of this third wave,” Dr. Bocking said.

The seven day per-100,000-population is 32.8 cases, artificially high because of the outbreak at Lindsay's Central East Correctional Centre – where there have been 154 confirmed cases among the inmate population and 11 among staff.

In the last 14 days, most of the cases are in the 20-to-39 age group. Of cases being identified, 73.6% are variants of concern, the vast majority of them being what is known as the UK Variant.

Within the HKPR jurisdiction, 82,934 vaccinations have been given. And 104,784 HKPR residents have at least one shot (11,108 of them have two).

Of the population aged 12 and over, 61.1% have at least a first shot. It rises to 81.7% for the population aged 60 and over.

“It's quite exciting, and quite a huge achievement for residents in our region and all the health-care partners and organizations who have been supporting this vaccine roll-out,” Dr. Bocking said.

For June, the HKPR region can expect 9,300 Pfizer doses per week. The number should fall slightly in July, she said, but details are not available yet. Moderna supplies have been less reliable, but they have been told to expect additional allocations.

With people beginning to book second doses, Dr. Bocking said, there is additional demand on bookings at a time when some people are still booking first doses – and at a time when age eligibility has been lowered to 12. As a result, there have been some glitches with the provincial booking system.

Work is ongoing to organize specific clinics for the 12-to-17 age group during the weeks of June 14 and June 21. In this way, given the accelerated eligibility of these students for a second dose, they can get that subsequent shot before school resumes in the fall.

The province's decision not to resume in-person school until fall, by the way, was made with “guidance from a number of different sectors, public health sectors being one of them. It's a weighty decision and they had a number of different factors they were considering,” Dr. Bocking said.

“I feel for families that have school-age kids, and I feel for kids that have been missing out on the in-person experience.”

Speaking of accelerated eligibility, it is being rolled out gradually by age group in light of improving vaccine supplies. At this point, those aged 80 and up can attempt to arrange an earlier second shot. This courtesy will be extended to those aged 70 to 79 as of June 14.

The National Advisory Committee on Vaccines has reported on the interchangeability of vaccines, Dr. Bocking said.

Those who had initial AstraZeneca shots can opt for a second AstraZeneca dose after 12 weeks or decide to get a shot of Pfizer or Moderna later.

As for those who initially get an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna, their second shot can be either one, based on availability.

The provincial Stay-At-Home Order has expired, Dr. Bocking said, “but we are still in emergency-brake measures, restrictions regarding gathering, which amenities and facilities are open.”

This will be the case until such time as the province authorizes the first of its three Road To Reopen stages.

“We have made a lot of progress in terms of vaccinations, but we have a little ways to go. We have to follow all those public-health measures, including restricting social gatherings.

“Let's celebrate these small wins in a safe way by continuing to celebrate with your household and enjoying the outdoors safely.”