Rate of vaccination expected to slow as clinics postponed due to lack of vaccine in Lambton

New data from Lambton Public Health says 35,443 people have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Just 1,575 – people in long term care and high risk retirement homes – have been fully vaccinated.

Public health says that’s about 31 per cent of the population who are eligible. A vaccine for people under 16 has not been approved yet. Public Health officials say 70 per cent of the population should be vaccinated to make a significant impact on the spread of the virus.

That’s up five per cent from last week when 28,495 first doses were complete. That means 6,948 people received their first dose last week. Lambton has the capacity to vaccinate 10,000 people per week.

This week, public health had to cancel two clinics and reduce hours at the mass vaccination sites because key shipments of Moderna have been delayed.

Officials Lambton Public Health officials say this week there are 89 people with COVID-19 for every 100,000 of population; that’s down from 102 cases per 100,000 last week.

About 2.8 per cent of the COVID-19 tests have come back as positive.

The new data suggests that had there not been a provincial Stay At Home order, Lambton would still either be in the grey lockdown or red zone of the Reopening Framework. Both levels require over 40 cases per 100,000 and 2.5 per cent COVID-19 test positivity.

Today, there are six people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Lambton County and 104 who are actively ill. Another 17 people are listed as recovered. Ten people are in Bluewater Health with COVID-19.

While the rate of infection in Lambton seems to have slowed, Ontario is still struggling. Today, Public Health Ontario is reporting 4,156 new cases of COVID-19 in the province. Twenty eight people have died.

Ontario is now averaging 4,002 cases every day over the last seven days, an all-time high during the pandemic.