Seat Harbor scientists working on COVID-19 therapy

Local Journalism Initiative

Vaccines arriving at Prince Albert in early January

Prince Albert is the next column to receive the Pfizer vaccine. During a press release at COVID-19 on Tuesday, Health Minister Paul Merriman announced that vaccine shipments would arrive in the city during the week of Monday, January 4. Frontline healthcare professionals receive the vaccine first. After the vaccine arrives at Prince Albert, it will be delivered on a regular weekly basis. “I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this great effort. Saskatchewan has a great track record in vaccination and is therefore ready when the vaccine arrives,” says Merriman. The state also expects the Moderna vaccine to receive federal approval within a few days and begin shipping shortly after final approval. “The first Moderna vaccine will be provided to residents and staff of long-term care facilities and personal care homes.” “The next allocation plan is already well underway, so we will actually increase vaccination early in the new year. You can, “he added. Merriman has also updated the delivery of vaccines in other parts of the state. Regina General Hospital has completed 1,519 vaccinations and should be given 1,950 first vaccinations within a few days. “I received an additional 1,950 doses at Regina yesterday. These will provide the person who received the first shot with a second shot. It will take place 21 days after the first shot. Soon, the New Year Will give birth to the first Saskatchewan inhabitants to be fully vaccinated with COVID-19, which is quite noteworthy, “says Merriman. Also yesterday, 3,900 doses of Pfizer vaccine were given to Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon, and 1,950 Saskatoon healthcare workers were given the first and second doses. “In addition, more doses will arrive in Saskatoon next week, and an additional 487 healthcare workers will be vaccinated. A second dose of this vaccine will be given within 3-4 weeks. It is given to the recipient, “says Merriman. The first dose of the vaccine was delivered in Saskatoon at a press conference in the middle of the afternoon. Cathy Picker, an ICU registered nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital, was the first to receive the Pfizer Bio-N Tech vaccine in Saskatoon. Other recipients of the 1,950 health care workers who are vaccinated include ICU, emergency department, COVID units, and staff at the testing and evaluation center. The state estimates that in the first stages of Saskatoon, 20 people will be vaccinated today and will take several days. “The next allocation plan is already on track, so we can actually increase vaccination early in the new year,” says Merriman. “As soon as the vaccine arrives, it will be given to people in Saskatchewan as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible,” says Merriman. Merriman and Shahab emphasize the importance of new measures during Christmas. Merriman and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab believe that the state-reported decline in the number of cases may continue after Christmas. Meriman began the briefing by thanking everyone in advance for following the guidelines that came into effect on December 14, prior to the holidays. “Every Christmas time, we look forward to gathering with family and friends, visiting each other’s homes, eating together, and standing around the kitchen to interact. Some people travel long distances with their families, all of which make the Christmas and holiday seasons so wonderful, “Meriman said. “But this year these activities make Christmas very dangerous and can lead to a surge in incidents in the coming weeks. So we ask you, your own for Christmas. Stick to your family, connect online with other family and friends, and visit outdoors if you can. Have a quiet Christmas. ”Meriman believes that the people of the state obey public health orders. “We have people who aren’t sticking to it, and we encourage them to obey the public health orders that are there again,” he said. He wants people to review public health orders, and the state confirms that compliance is a priority. “I really believe that the people of Saskatchewan can adhere to what is happening. They understand that this is for their safety, the safety of their neighbors, and the safety of their families. “Meriman said. “Home contacts are still one of the major sources of infection. Therefore, we know that a large rally on Christmas will almost certainly increase the number of cases, and more and more people will be vaccinated. 2021 will be a much better year as life begins to return to normal, “Meriman added. Shahab explained that he heard that people are planning to stay connected in other ways with friends and family in Canada and throughout the state. “If you have friends and family in the community you live in, many people plan to be outdoors. The weather doesn’t seem to be that bad, so you can go far to meet and greet people. You can, “he explained. Shahab also added that going out and keeping physical distance while exercising is beneficial to mental health during the holidays. Both Shahab and Merriman were looking forward to an improvement in 2021 as immunization increased in the state. 36 cases of COVID-19 reported in the North Central Zone on Tuesday There were 3 deaths associated with COVID-19 reported on Tuesday. All three were in the age group over 80, one in the northwest zone and two in the Regina zone. At a press conference on Tuesday, both Merriman and Shahab expressed their condolences to the 20 dead family and friends. “Unfortunately, we must not forget that we still see deaths from COVID-19. Since Friday, 20 people have died in Saskatchewan, so we joined Minister Merriman and the individuals and families of those who died. I would like to express my condolences to him. There was a case of death away and in a long-term facility, “said Shahab. The death toll in the state has now risen to 125. There were also 181 new cases reported by the state on Tuesday. “Our number of cases is still higher than we want, but it’s starting to decline. Today, the average for seven days is 217, down from 263 a week ago. So what we’re doing is working, but we have to keep going, “Meriman said. The current 7-day average is 217, or 17.9 per 100,000 population. Shabab explained that the numbers we see are currently on the decline as new measures are taken. “Our daily test positive rate has also dropped to 7.9, so there are some positive trends in all indicators, so it’s very important to maintain that downtrend for the next few weeks.” Shahab said. The North Central Zone, including Prince Albert, reported 36 new cases. Prince Albert North Central 2 has 275 active cases. North Central 1 has 126 active cases and North Central 3 has 102 active cases, including communities such as Christopher Lake, Candle Lake, and Mee Spark. The North Central Zone is the third active case breakdown of 503 active cases. Of the 13,942 COVID-19 cases reported in Saskatchewan, 3,945 are believed to be active. Of the 124 inpatients in the state, 103 receive patient care, 17 of whom are in north-central. Of the 21 people in the intensive care unit, 6 are in the north-central part. Shahab said it will take some time before the numbers start to decline. After an additional 223 reports of recovery, the number of recovery is now 9,872. The total number of cases since the pandemic began is 13,942. Of these 3,262 cases, they are from the northern region (1,282 cases in the northwest, 1,522 cases in the central north, and 458 cases in the northeast). Of the eight previously reported cases, one was assigned to the Far Northwest, one to the Far North Central, two to the Far Northeast, one to the Northwest, one to Saskatoon, and two to the Regina Zone. .. As of December 21, the total number of vaccinations is 1,519. These are part of the Regina Pilot Vaccination Phase. Yesterday, 2,172 COVID-19 tests were processed. As of today, 410,616 COVID-19 tests are being conducted in Saskatchewan. According to the state, daily incident information and related news releases will be posted today on Christmas Eve from December 27th and December 29th to December 31st. Updates are not available for Christmas, Boxing Day, December 28th, and new. Day of the year. The corresponding case information for the day will be included in the next upcoming update.Michael Olexin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald