Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/ June 2, 2021
Today, the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health (BOH) held its regular meeting for June 2021. The meeting was conducted by teleconference as part of Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s (HPEPH) COVID-19 safety measures.
Statement from Board Chair
Board Chair Jo-Anne Albert made the following statement on the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School:
The Board of Health is profoundly saddened by the discovery of the burial site of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. In response to this news, we send our sincere condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Our thoughts are with the families, the communities, residential school survivors and all who mourn this devastating discovery. There are no words to ease the pain of generations of children taken, families torn apart and futures unrealized, but our hope is for healing.
This tragic news is a reminder of the urgency of the work that must be done to not only acknowledge the dark stain of residential schools on Canadian history, but to also to recognize that their cruel legacy continues to affect Indigenous families and communities today through direct and intergenerational trauma.
We are committed to working to address the historical and contemporary legacy of the residential school system and colonial harms. On behalf of the Board of Health, I ask all community members to please take a moment to reflect on this recent discovery and to think about what each of us can do to make steps towards reconciliation.
Board Appointments
Dr. Craig Ervine has been reappointed by the province to the HPEPH Board of Health for another year.
COVID-19 Case Rate Trending in Right Direction
Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Resident, updated the BOH on local COVID-19 case rates, providing the positive news that there were no new cases in HPEC yesterday and the number of cases is trending in the right direction. He credited the tireless efforts of the community to adhere to public health measures, the work of HPEPH Case and Contact Management staff, as well the Provincial Stay-at-Home order for the decline in cases. Today, HPEC has 11 active cases.
Dr. Toumishey cautioned that with the lifting of the Stay-At-Home Order the community should not become complacent.
“While the Stay-at-Home order has ended, all other public health and workplace measures remain in place province wide until Ontario enters Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen,” said Dr. Toumishey. “Maintaining public health measures will ensure we continue to protect our hospital capacity and help stop the spread of COVID-19 variants in our community.”
HPEPH Benefitting from Stable and Reliable Increase in Vaccine Supply
Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health and CEO, reported that as of June 1, 53% of HPEC residents had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
He told the board that the province, recognizing that HPEPH received vaccine much later than other regions, is now allocating a consistent and increasing supply of vaccine to our region. He did note, however, that HPEPH has the capacity to administer more vaccines than our current allocation.
Eligible Youth Encouraged to Book Appointment for COVID-19 Vaccine
All individuals aged 12 or older are now eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking site. To ensure appointments for first and second doses are available to eligible youth before the end of the summer, HPEPH is holding special youth clinics until June 12 at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre Vaccination Centre. Eligible youth can find booking information at hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking/.
“When eligible students choose to get vaccinated, they are taking an important step to protect themselves and those around them from COVID-19,” said Dr. Oglaza. “While schools have not been a transmission of the virus in our region, vaccine is the best possible protection against the virus. This additional layer of protection will help keep youth, their families, and the community as safe as possible.”
While vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19, Dr. Oglaza reiterated that existing infection prevention and control protocols have ensured in-person learning has been safe in HPEC throughout the pandemic. Dr. Oglaza stated that “In-person learning is critical to the mental health and well-being of children and youth.”
HPEPH Evaluates COVID-19 Response
Tanya Hill, Acting Manager of Foundational Standards and Communications presented a report summarizing the ongoing evaluation of HPEPH’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response. Evaluation has been ongoing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response in order to continuously adapt and improve interventions in this rapidly changing environment.
Key areas that were evaluated and continue to be evaluated include human resources, communications, case and contact management, vaccine rollout and school partnerships.
The Board of Health commended the excellent work of HPEPH staff to respond to the continuously evolving nature of the pandemic and keep the community as safe as possible.
The report is available for review on the website.
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Media contacts
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
mhyland@hpeph.ca
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
