Parents with children aged six months to 4 can now book an appointment for the COVID vaccine.
Ontario is opening up its online vaccine contact center to accept the booking this morning.
Parents can also also book appointments through the pubic health unit, participating pharmacies and their health practitioner at medical clinics.
The recent approval of a Moderna vaccine by Health Canada will allow young children to get vaccinated.
Another possible blue/green algae bloom has been reported in the Sioux Lookout area.
Its in the beaver pond by Kirk Lake.
The bloom is being tested by the Ministry of the Environment.
The Northwestern Health Unit are asking local residents to treat it as blue/green algae.
In the meantime, the Northwestern Health Unit has updated a couple of instances of suspected algae blooms.
One that was reported last week on Pelican Lake turned out to be negative for blue/green algae, but another in Minnitaki Lake was confirmed.
Blue-green algae are microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams.
They are usually present in low numbers but can rapidly increase in certain conditions to form a large mass or scum, called a bloom.
Some blue-green algae produce toxins that can pose a health risk to people and animals when they are exposed to them in large amounts.
For the first time in months, there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
The Northwestern Health Unit says there were no new cases for the second day in a row.
It’s different down the road in the Thunder Bay district where there are 16 active cases.
There were four new positive results today.
There were also 419 new cases in Ontario with 279 coming from individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.
The Northwestern Health Unit says they were made aware of one new confirmed case of COVID-19 since their last report on Friday.
The case comes from the Rainy River District, though the Health Unit tells us that following their investigation it is now considered resolved.
As of Monday morning, the NWHU says there are a total of four cases on record in their catchment area. Three are in the Kenora region while the other is in the Rainy River district.
Despite being listed by the Northwestern Health Unit, one case in the Kenora area and the case in the Rainy River region are isolating outside of the area.
Of the two active cases within the NWHU area, one is currently in the hospital due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, there are no new cases in the Thunder Bay District.
As for the province, there are 526 new cases in Ontario with 353 of those being unvaccinated individuals.
Due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 in Fort Frances this weekend, and in collaboration with School Board partners, the Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit, Dr.Kit Young-Hoon, is recommending that Fort Frances schools delay in person learning for an additional two week period, January 11-15 and January 18-22..
The Health Unit Says in-person instruction to students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated through remote learning and who wish to attend in-person instruction may continue.
Health officials say the announcement will affect:
These instructions do not apply to other schools that are not listed above or are not in the municipality of Fort Frances. These instructions also do not apply to day cares.
The Northwestern Health Unit is being more proactive in its inspections on area restaurants.
The Health Unit says it has updated its disclosure system and added some new features.
That includes posting a colour-coded certificate on the door of each business about the inspection results.
Three are three designations: green for a pass, yellow for a conditional pass, or red, indicating the restaurant is closed for a failed inspection.
So far this year, all premises have passed the inspections.
In the past, all food preparation businesses had their inspections on the Choose Wise website or by a Freedom of Information request.
An honour for the Northwestern Health Unit.
For the second time in two years, the Health Unit has been given the Employee Recommended Workplace Award.
The award is handed out annually by partners Morneau-Shepell and The Globe and Mail, and is strictly an employee survey.
It says winners of the honour have demonstrated excellence in employee workplace experience and health in physical, mental, work and life.
A total of 62 companies across Canada have been given the award based on employee health and productivity.
Municipal leaders are raising alarm bells of challenging times ahead because of Northwestern Health Unit levies.
Mayor Greg Wilson plans to introduce a resolution tonight (Monday) during the open Council meeting calling for the health unit to reduce costs in order to ease the burden on local communities.
Officials warn in 2021, municipalities will have to pick up the extra costs for public health, which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The province is moving from 25% cost recovery from municipalities to 30%.
Health Unit Vice-Chair Sharon Smith notes that’s going to have a huge impact on property taxpayers, noting it amounts to a tax increase of over 1%.
Smith says local communities simply can’t absorb those costs.
Smith is also speaking out on a proposed merger between the Northwestern Health Unit and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
Talks have cooled off but Smith says its important to highlight the negative impacts on our area.
She notes the area is just too large for one Health Unit to cover.
Smith says “that’s 400,000 square kilometres, 40% of the land mass of Ontario, for a budget of combined $30-million. I would suggest that any costs in amalgamation would be negligible.”
She stresses if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
The Northwestern Health Unit is encouraged following a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health regarding the future of care in our area.
The sit-down was attended by local health leaders, municipal representatives and Indigenous partners.
Marilyn Herbacz is the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Unit and she believes their message to protect public health was heard loud and clear.
Herbacz stressed the importance of enhancing the existing system and support local programming.
She adds the needs of First Nations were well reflected during the one day gathering in Kenora.
The City of Dryden is asking the Northwestern Health Unit to conduct an internal review.
Council passed a motion on Monday asking for a detailed plan to control costs, improve efficiencies and find savings.
They are worried that municipalities may be asked to shell out more money if the province moves forward with future cuts.
Norm Bush says the City of Dryden needs answers.
“Has the Northwest Health Unit performed an internal review of their programs, with the goal of looking for cost reductions in their service deliver or looking for alternatives in their service delivery?”
He also questioned “Have they done, as the government requested, or made available as an opportunity, a line-by-line audit of their operations? Again looking for cost reduction opportunities. Have they done those things?”
Bush says local taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to pay more.
Shayne MacKinnon, who sits on the Health Unit Board, was strongly opposed to the City requesting a review.
“It’s directing our partner to undertake an internal review. Council is not aware whether they do that now. So it would be like an outside organization directing (the City) to undertake a study without Council being able to respond.”
MacKinnon says the Executive Director of the Health Unit has made herself available in February to communicate their plan to Council, stressing she should be given that opportunity.
He notes the Chief Administrative Officer of the Kenora District Services Board was given the chance to outline their cost savings plan in an open forum.
A visibly upset MacKinnon walked out of the Monday Council meeting prior to the vote, realizing his plea to have the motion deferred had no chance of being approved.
