The Mayor of Ajax Shaun Collier has written a letter of “concern” to the head of Durham Health, Dr. Robert Kyle, over the unavailability of second dose booking for residents of the hotspot area.
“I am writing to relay concerns I am hearing from residents of Ajax regarding second dose vaccine availability.
“As a formerly identified Covid hot spot community, Ajax residents listened to the urgent call to get vaccinated and turned out in large numbers in April and early May to receive their first dose,” wrote the mayor.
“The same inividuals are now not able to secure an appointment despite being eligible under the current provincial criteria, and many others are anxiously waiting to be eligible,” Collier pointed out.
He said while Ajax is not currently identified as a Delta variant hot spot, as of today, Durham’s 7-day positivity rate of 3.8% has it on par with that of Toronto. “In addition, our weekly case rate of 23 per 100,000 exceeds that of identified Delta hot spots including York (14 per 100,000) and Halton (19 per 100,000) Regions.”
While Ajax has made extremely positive progress over the course of the province’s Stay-at-Home Order, and particularly in the past few weeks, the mayor thinks these numbers are troubling. They demonstrate the need for advocacy around additional doses to curb any additional growth in these numbers as a result of the increasing threat of the Delta variant.
Shaun Collier then says: “Asking Durham’s residents, many of whom are vulnerable and live in highly transmissible situations that were previously identified as hotspots, to wait until July 19 (34 more days) for eligibility to be expanded seems shortsighted. We must advocate for them.”
Shaun Collier ended his letter by asking Durham health 3 questions:
- Does the Durham Region have an adequate supply (or projected) to handle getting second doses in arms for those in previously-identified hot spot areas (Ajax, Pickering); and if not,
- What is region doing to increase supply of vaccine to protect residents and businesses?
- Does the region need the permission of the province to expand eligibility to first dose on or before May 9?
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