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NWHU Active Cases Down

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For the fourth time this month, the Northwestern Health Unit says there are no new cases of COVID-19 to report Thursday.

The number of active cases across the health unit’s catchment area is down to three; two in the Sioux Lookout area and one in the Rainy River district.

There have been a total of 1,092 cases across the NWHU since the pandemic began, with 1,089 (99.7 per-cent) of them now resolved.

They tell us that they have now administered 99,087 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Thunder Bay Health Officials also say there are no new cases in their District bringing their active case count to three.

Across the province, Ontario adds 210 new cases and reports four COVID related deaths.

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NWHU: No New Cases For Third Day

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For the third day in a row, the Northwestern Health Unit says they have no new cases of COIVD-19 to report within their catchment area.

They tell us that like Tuesday they are monitoring ten active cases; seven in the Kenora health hub, two in Sioux Lookout and one in Atikokan.

The NWHU says that the test positivity rate for the week of May 24-30 was at 0.82 per-cent, down from the 1.35 per-cent reported for the week before.

Overall, the regional health authority says the test positivity rate since the start of the pandemic is down to 1.09 per-cent.

On the vaccine front 52,892 doses have been administered to date. That works out to 63 per-cent of the eligible 12+ population, or 55 per-cent of the entire population, that have received at least one dose.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit recorded four new cases Wednesday and the active case count is 52.

Ontario recorded 733 new cases and the 7-day average is now below 1,000 for the first time in months.

There were 25 COVID-related deaths.

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Canadians Can Safely Mix COVID-19 Vaccines: NACI

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Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunizations says it’s safe for Canadians to mix COVID-19 vaccine types.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, announced Tuesday anyone with their first dose of AstraZeneca can receive an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, for their second dose.

Those who received a first dose of a mRNA vaccine are advised to get a second dose of the same type, but if they are unavailable when it comes time for the second shot Tam said Pfizer and Moderna can be ‘considered interchangeable.’

“The interchangeability of vaccines means you can receive one vaccine product for your first dose, and safely receive a different vaccine for your second dose to complete your two-dose vaccine series for optimal protection from COVID-19,” Tam said.

As provinces reach the threshold of offering first doses to all Canadians aged 12 and older, Tam says it’s now important to turn our attention toward getting second doses into the arms of the most vulnerable residents.

“The committee recommended last week that second doses be offered as soon as possible. NACI recommends that priority for second doses should be given to those at highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 disease after or at the same time as first doses are offered to all remaining eligible populations,” Tam said in a press briefing.

The announcement follows studies and clinical trials into vaccine interchangeability in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Updated guidance from NACI says those studies show following a dose of AstraZeneca with a mRNA vaccine provides an immune response boost, though there is a possibility of increased short-term side effects, including headache, fatigue and general illness.

Studies have also shown that while the risk of VITT or blood clots caused by vaccines appears to be lower from a second dose, the rate has increased over time. NACI says the second dose of AstraZeneca appears to trigger VITT in 1 out of every 600,000 people who received the shot.

NACI also says so long as Canadians receive two doses of any of the three currently-approved COVID-19 vaccines that individual should be considered to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19.

Individual provincial governments will now have to consider NACI’s guidance and determine whether they will offer residents the opportunity to mix vaccine types for their second doses.

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NWHU Reports Two New Cases

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Two new cases of COVID-19 are being reported by the Northwestern Health Unit Friday morning.

One of the new cases comes from the Atikokan health hub, while the other is from the Sioux Lookout region.

This marks the 13th straight day the NWHU has reported single-digit new cases, which marks the longest streak of single-digit new case since at the very least the beginning of March.

The regional health authority says that they are currently monitoring 26 active cases of the novel coronavirus within their catchment area.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit also recorded low numbers with 1 new positive and 28 actives.

Ontario reported 1,890 new cases and 27 COVID-related deaths.

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66 Active Cases Across NWHU Area

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There are six new cases of the novel coronavirus reported by the Northwestern Health Unit Tuesday morning.

The Kenora and Rainy River health hubs are each reporting two new cases, while the Emo and Sioux Lookout regions have one new case each.

This is the lowest number of new cases by the NWHU since the four reported on April 26th.

The regional health authority reports that there are currently 66 active cases across their catchment area, a number down from the 75 active cases reported on Monday morning.

The NWHU says 31 are in the Kenora region, followed by 16 in the Fort Frances health hub, nine near Sioux Lookout, four in the Rainy River region, three near Emo, and one each in the Red Lake, Dryden and Atikokan hubs.

Wauzhushk Onigum Nation (Rat Portage No. 38B) is reporting on their Facebook page that they have 17 active cases within their community with 15 pending test results.

A total of 29,055 doses of vaccine have been administered by the Northwestern Health Unit to date.

As for the Thunder Bay District, their health unit reports six new cases of COVID-19, putting the active count at 44.

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has admitted two patients that have been sent from hotspots in southern Ontario and is ready should more be sent.

Ontario is also experiencing a dip in numbers with 2,791 new cases.

However, the test positivity rate stands at 9.1%.

There were 25 COVID related deaths Tuesday.

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Ontario Getting Plant To Manufacture Vaccines

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A new vaccine manufacturing facility is coming to Toronto.

Officials unveiled the details Wednesday morning, which will include a $415 million investment from the federal government and $55 million from the province.

Sanofi Pasteur Limited will be the company behind the facility, which will focus on drug product formulation, fill and finish and inspection of flu vaccines.

The company will contribute more than $455 million as well as create 1,225 jobs.

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UPDATED: AstraZeneca Vaccines Get Health Canada Approval

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Canada will soon have two more vaccines to combat the COVID-19 virus.

Health Canada has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine along with a related shot by the Serum Institue of India.

Dr. Supriya Sharma, a senior medical advisor with Health Canada, provided details about the vaccines during a briefing Friday morning.

Sharma said unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which are m-R-N-A based, these new vaccines are viral-vector-based.

“Viral-vector vaccines use a harmless modified version of a different virus, the vector, to deliver instructions to our cells,” said Sharma. “The cells begin to make proteins from the virus that causes COVID-19, which then prompts the body to develop an immune response.”

Sharma said the virus used in these vaccines are adenoviruses, which have been used in vaccines for decades.

She said the adenoviruses can cause common cold-like symptoms but do not cause illness.

“These are two-dose vaccines with the second dose being given between four and 12 weeks after the first. Evidence suggests that efficacy increases with longer dosing intervals,” said Sharma.

Sharma said the vaccines are about 62 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19, much lower than the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

But she said there is “emerging, promising evidence” that is beginning to be reported from real-world use of the vaccine.

Sharma said two other vaccine submissions remain under review by Health Canada.

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Ottawa Looks To Secure Potential COVID-19 Vaccines

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The federal government has signed agreements with two companies to secure millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand announced Wednesday that Ottawa has entered into agreements with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and biotech company Moderna.

Anand said this puts Canada among the first countries in the world to establish these agreements.

“These agreements are indicative of our aggressive approach to secure access to vaccine candidates now so that Canadians are at the front of the line when a vaccine becomes available,” said Anand.

All potential vaccines would require Health Canada regulatory approval before they could be used to vaccinate Canadians.

Anand said Pfizer is evaluating at least four experimental vaccine candidates and is currently undergoing clinical trials.

“These trials are occurring in various countries including Germany and the United States and are already exhibiting promising results,” said Anand.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published “encouraging” data from Moderna’s trials relating to its vaccine candidate, she said.

But despite the promising results of the vaccine candidates so far, Anand said there is more work to do before one is developed.

“Any potential vaccine candidate will take time to develop, properly test, mass manufacture and distribute,” she said.

The federal government said it cannot disclose contract details at this time as active negotiations are taking place with other potential vaccine suppliers.

In the meantime, Anand said the government is also working to procure syringes, needles and alcohol swabs for when a vaccine is developed.

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Canada Plans For When We Have A COVID Vaccine

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Canada’s health minister is working on a COVID-19 communications plan.

Patty Hajdu telling Acadia Broadcasting’s John Ongaro tells us they are preparing for when a vaccine is made available.

“We are working on how to communicate to Canadians in a clear way about potential vaccines and then how are we going to prioritize who gets the vaccine first,” Hajdu says.

Hajdu says vaccinating 37 million people won’t happen overnight and that’s why they need a plan.

The health minister adds for the most part Canadians are trusting in the health care system and future vaccines for COVID-19.

“I’m very proud of Canadians they are more rational in some ways, they have a stronger belief in science and research than some of our southern counterparts,” Hajdu says.