All adults living in Northern Manitoba are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and the province is expanding community-based eligibility to another area of Winnipeg designated a hot spot for the virus.
As of 11:45 a.m. Monday, Manitoba is expanding its COVID-19 vaccination priority program to include all adults in the northern health region and in the Seven Oaks West neighbourhood in Winnipeg.
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Manitoba opens vaccination to all adults in 3 areas of Winnipeg designated COVID-19 hot spots
Anyone 18 years old and up who doesn’t live in those areas but who works there in certain public-facing jobs such as teachers, grocery store or convenience store workers, those working in food-processing facilities, gas stations, anywhere that serves food, and childcare staff can also get a shot.
“The vaccine is one way we can slow the spread of this virus and control the third wave of COVID-19,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, lead of the province’s vaccine implementation task force.
“We are seeing that everyone, including younger people, is experiencing more severe outcomes from COVID and it is important that we adjust our eligibility criteria to reflect what we know, so we can protect those at risk.
“More than one-third of Manitobans have been immunized, and I’d encourage everyone to do the same as soon as they are eligible.”
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The province announced similar priority measures last week for three neighbourhoods in central Winnipeg, including Downtown East, Point Douglas South, and Inkster East.
More information, including a map highlighting the eligible neighbourhoods is available on the province’s website.
–With files from The Canadian Press
Vaccine Eligibility Expanding to Protect Adults in Northern Manitoba, Seven Oaks West https://t.co/ND2s1jY9bY pic.twitter.com/lClunwak2j
— Manitoba Gov News (@MBGovNews) April 26, 2021
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, visit our coronavirus page.
