Cobourg is in the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit which is headed up by a Medical Officer of Health (MOH). This position was held by Dr. Lynn Noseworthy up to her retirement on December 11, 2020 and for the last four months Dr. Ian Gemmill has come out of retirement to do the job in an “acting” role. He has conducted weekly media sessions that provided good information that could be disseminated but now the new Medical Officer of Health – Dr. Natalie Bocking – will take over on April 5 (see photo below). At his final media “Zoom” meeting on March 31, Dr. Gemmill gave his usual informative briefing as outlined below. He continues to stress that we are not yet back to normal and we still need to avoid travel and inappropriate gatherings.
Current Status in Cobourg/Northumberland
- The HKPR Health Unit is now managing vaccinations at the CCC and has been for the last week.
- More vaccine has been delivered so more appointments are being loaded into the Provincial system – they should extend to April 24.
- If you are eligible and cannot get an appointment it’s because either it has not yet been entered into the system OR all appointments have been taken. Note that if you get an appointment it means there is vaccine available for it. Note that currently ALL appointments (for this region) are in the Provincial system (see link and phone number below).
- It’s expected that the age group of 70+ will become eligible in this region in the next few days.
- Given current statistics, Dr. Gemmill expects us to stay in the Yellow zone – this is reviewed weekly.
- Most cases are now happening because of “inappropriate gatherings” and not breakouts.
- So far in our Health Unit, 19,000 doses have been administered to 17,000 people (some have had their second dose) [I hate it being called a jab!]. There is a capacity to administer 5000 doses per day across the region but only 1000 are actually being done per day due to a limited supply of vaccine.
- The Province allocates Vaccine supplies in proportion to population plus a bit more for hot spots.
- 82% of people over 80 in the area have had their first dose.
- The CCC vaccination centre is currently operating 4 days per week – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. About 300 doses are administered per day.
- Once available, the Astrazenica vaccine will be distributed at Pharmacies and family physician offices but the schedule for this has not been established. Please do not call them for information since they don’t know any details yet. These doses are expected to be intended for essential workers and others in Phase 2.
- The hope and goal is to have 100% of those wanting a shot to be vaccinated by the end of summer since the virus “likes winter”.
- The CCC is expected to focus on people eligible by their age group as announced.
- There is a disconnect happening: people are advised not to travel yet eligible people can book an appointment outside their Area (e.g. Peterborough, Kingston). There are no plans to fix this but people are encouraged to be patient and wait until there is an appointment available locally.
Anyone who regularly visits the Vaccine information page on Cobourg News Blog will recognize the above as being identical to a recent update on that page.
You can see the latest statistics and impact of the virus on the Town at the Covid-19 Status page.
Booking Online – visit www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine
Phone Line – 1-888-999-6488
Update – 1 April 2021
Just a day after the above information was provided by the Local Medical Officer of Health, all the Province was moved into the Grey Zone per below.
Beginning April 3 for four weeks
Basically it’s Grey Zone Restrictions
New Province Wide Restrictions include:
- Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings, and limiting the capacity for outdoor gatherings to a five-person maximum — except for gatherings with members of the same household, or gatherings of members of one household and one other person who lives alone.
- Limits on in-person shopping: a 50 per cent capacity limit for supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, indoor farmers’ markets, other stores that primarily sell food and pharmacies; and a 25 per cent limit for all other retail including big box stores.
- No personal care services.
- No indoor and outdoor dining. Take out, delivery and drive-thru options are allowed.
- Prohibiting the use of facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions.
- The closure of day camps.
- Limiting capacity at weddings, funerals, and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors, and to the number of people who can maintain two metres of physical distance outdoors. This does not include social gatherings associated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors.
- Gyms, fitness clubs, movie theatres, barbershops, spas, hair salons and other select businesses must close.
Schools and child-care centres will remain open and the planned April break for students and teachers will go ahead as planned. Day camps, however, will be required to close.
The impact on the Vaccination program is not clear but it’s unlikely that there would be any reduction in the rate of administering vaccines.
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Both high schools in Cobourg are now closing
it is the under 20 getting it the most now
Don’t you love it Dougie area you can get appointments for Pfizer if you are 60,
out here it still 70 , and you cannot even appointments
not feeling the love out here
I called today from Cobourg and in 15 minutes had both appointments booked at the time that suited me and my son perfectly (he has to drive me). No complaints so far and friends got their first jab last week.
at 7:14 am this morning , there was no appointments available in Cobourg
at 2 pm was able to book in Trenthills, Trenton, Peterborough, Belleville and Durham , no appointments in Cobourg
they are not proving enough vaccine for Cobourg
So only personal care , restaurants and entertainment are getting screwed over by moving into grey zone ,
we are paying for the stupid in the GTA
I generally agree with you Mark and was my feeling as well. Until Fleming College happened, then Queens and other non-GTA hotspots. There is a mood out there that says they’ve had enough of black out curtains (ref to WWll) and stay at home restrictions. Empathize and sympathize definitely, enforce the rules most definitely. Coz if we don’t then others (Moms, Dads, family, friends, others) pay the price of breaking those rules. I equate it to the situation of drunk driving – someone else always seems to pay the final price and the drunk staggers away from the mess they’ve created.
For all of us 80+ who got our first shot in March and we’re told we would receive a phone call for our second shot most likely to be given in June. May I ask how this can happen as all 70-79 have second appointments booked for either June or July now. How are the hundreds of us going to be able to be squeezed into June? Also if we miss the 2 phone calls are we then going to have to wait even longer than the 3-4 months for our second shot?? Very concerned about this.
Who says “all 70-79 have 2nd appointments booked”? I’m in that range and I haven’t had my 2nd shot booked yet.
Where is this disinformation coming from?
I meant to say all 70-79 getting their shots now are receiving their 2nd shot appointments in June and July.
I wouldnt count on any 2nd shots dates being written in stone. No one knows what supply will be like in June or July and there could be a move to shift in priorities in the province long before then.
If you made your appointment on line through the Ministry of Health you were given 2 appointment dates and times. They advise the date of the 2nd appointment, but you select the time you wish. This is all confirmed on the “Booking Confirmation” e-mail you are sent.
80+ going to the CCC were called on the phone for first appointment. No second appointments were made.
Apologies. I misread a comment. I self-deleted.
We were also wondering about this, we know many people with an actual date for July & their second shot! Hopefully we will be called & given preference!
Wonder how local big box store became the pharmacy chosen to vaccinate?
Wonder what the selection process involved and why our local small
business pharmacies were not chosen? I mean the PC’s always talk about
”small business”, and “helping the little guy”. Why give the opportunity to a low wage paying, union busting conglomerate?
Maybe Parking, waiting area could be a number of factors
Ha Ha Ha. That’s my response to the sentence “Why give the opportunity to a low wage paying, union busting conglomerate?”. I’m getting my first shot at the Cobourg Community Centre in mid April. Easy to do, it took 15 minutes on the phone and both appointments booked. I turn 72 shortly.
The Ontario booking system now shows some appointments at the CCC as being available for the 70+ cohort .
Thanks Ken, because I saw this I immediately went on line and booked my 2 appointments for the CCC. It is a good day!
Booked my appointment also at the CCC. Thank you for the updated information, Ken. This was done on Apr 2 at 1046 am.
I went to the CCC for my vaccine appointment only to be told that I was not on their list and that they had no extra vaccine. While I was there, four others were also being told that they were not on the appointment list and to return another day. I’ve been assured that they will have sufficient vaccine tomorrow. BTW, they are administering the Moderna vaccine rather than the Pfizer vaccine.
One of the problems with the on-line booking system is that you have to go through a whole process of entering your details just to get to the end and find that there are no appointments at your desired centre. Ideally the system would log applicants details and when appointments become available email or text with details. That way there would be a queue created as people log on. As it is you have to keep trying the online system and enter all your details again. It becomes a lottery because it all depends upon being lucky when you try again. If you don’t try as soon as appointments became available (and you don’t know when that happens) you might find they are all filled up.
Self deleted.
Aside from all the other notes how about welcoming Dr. Natalie Bocking to our health unit. Although Dr. Gimmell did a great interim job am sure that Dr. Bocking with her experience will do just as well. Welcome to our area Dr. Bocking and wishing you the best in your new assignment.
Ian Gemmil has been a great communicator and my mother is booked for her vaccination at CCC for tomorrow – she found it easy to do. What I’d like to see here is pharmacies administering AstraZeneca. I have zero issues with this vaccine and would take it no problem if offered. This started as a political issue between the UK and EU and has lead to an over abundance of caution in the medical community. Covid is much more dangerous and cases of clotting with AstraZeneca are extremely rare.
Self Deleted.
Self-deleted.
Yes, I know and use it frequently as I tend to make spelling mistakes in my enthusiasm Jim.
Spelling mistakes? When I mistype a word, the system underlines it with a wavy red line as a cue for me to fix it before posting online.
Not that I actually make spelling or typing errors. Not me.
With all due respect, I’m not sure that lay people should be, nor that this medium is the appropriate vehicle for, sharing medical information and certainly one individual’s reactions could be solely related to other “medical conditions”. There is already a lot of misinformation out there.
Perhaps. But secrecy does not help. I reviewed the information on various medical reporting sites with regard to the vaccines. Anyone is welcome to do so also. When it is widely announced everywhere I don’t see I revealed anything new except my anonymous friend’s reaction.
As you feel this might upset people Glad to have had my Jab I have deleted my posts where possible.
So it’s obviously not secret!!!
I hope everyone will go for a vaccine. But there are factors people should look at when they consider their health risks. You imply there should be no discussion of anything at all in regard to the various vaccines.
Not at all – that’s how you interpreted my comment. My comment was intended as a caution to readers not to use this blog as the source of their medical information since yours seemed to me to getting into a lot of comment of a medical nature and there is a lot medical hesitancy out there which might be “fed” by your description of the one individual’s apparent side effects from the vaccine.
Imogen – yes it is very political. Have no doubt, I sincerely wish everyone will have no doubts about being vaccinated.
On the political end I have not read much on why Canada has been at the bottom of the list in receiving vaccines and show so poorly in the ratings of vaccines completed. To hear criticism by a Leader of the Opposition of Doug Ford. I think the criticism would best be aimed and inquiries made to the Federal level as to why Canada placed so low.
I read and saw on a television broadcast the astounding announcement by procurement by the Federal government that a shipment of the Moderna was cancelled as it was announced it wouldn’t be available for shipment until December.
Questions should be directed there. I couldn’t imagine being Premier of Ontario or any other province with a high rate of infection – like being a captain of a ship in a hurricane and knowing there was a bit of leak before it all started.
Imogen,
Wal-Mart on Strathy Road is now taking online appointments for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Check out today’s article on todaysnorthumberland.ca for the link. Sorry that I do not know how to insert the link here.
But if you follow the links, you’ll find that Walmart’s Cobourg location does not yet have appointment slots available.
You can get Astra Zeneca at Walmart & the pharmacy in Port Hope!
If you actually go through the process, there are in fact no vaccine appointments currently available at Walmart in Cobourg. That’s as of April 4. That’s likely true also in Port Hope.
Okay. The slogan “Believe 50% of what you read… 0% of what you hear… and 100% of what you physically see…” is applicable here.
Self deleted.
You can’t compare vaccines by their efficacy numbers. This video explains.
https://youtu.be/K3odScka55A
Self deleted.
The ‘jab’ moniker started out in the UK. We’ve Just been copycats.
“From New Delhi to Darjeeling
I have done my share of healing,
And I’ve never yet been beaten or outboxed,
I remember that with one jab
Of my needle in the Punjab
How I cleared up beriberi
And the dreaded dysentery…”
— Peter Sellers in The Millionairess – October 1960
😸😸😺😺😺😺
My husband just went to the Provincial site and it said to phone the local number but when he called there it said don’t call us, all appointments are through the Provincial site. Confusing.
First of all….phone the phone number that John has given….1-888-999-6488. We have found that all the ‘agents’ taking your call, do not seem to be on the same page!? My wife and I now have an appointment, at the CCC, in another week! We were also set up for our second ‘jab’, by the agent we talked to. All went very smooth! A friend of ours phoned and got an agent that rejected her request? She phoned the number again, got a different agent and was able to book her two appointments!
Good luck to all and be safe!
What age group are you in?
My wife and I are in the 70 plus. One of the ‘prompts’ is….push 1 if you are 70 plus.
To bad he has went back into retirement. He was so much better at info than Noseworthy ever was. Lets hope this new one keeps us informed
“If you are eligible and cannot get an appointment it’s because either it has not yet been entered into the system OR all appointments have been taken. Note that if you get an appointment it means there is vaccine available for it.”
Does this mean you have to rebook to get an appt.? Or are you placed in a queque?
Are we only able to receive AstraZeneca?
My confidence in the way our Prov. Govt. is handling this is getting lower
and lower.
The provincial government can only administer what vaccines it receives from the federal government, and they have a very poor relationship with vaccine manufacturers.
I’m actually surprised we are getting vaccines at all.
https://calgarysun.com/news/local-news/corbella-15/wcm/01345cca-7b88-4d92-96ec-33be95533825
Walmart in Cobourg has been authorized to give out the vaccine but they do not know when they will be able to get any
Appointments will made with the provincial website
Tried to book , but all the appointments are gone
Not so sure about that booking statement. On the provincial website, if you don’t qualify for the CCC, it tells you to book through the pharmacies. Walmart has a booking process on their website but it doesn’t appear to be operational yet, at least when I tried.