The Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens will officially become a mass COVID-19 immunization site.
At Monday’s Quinte West council meeting it was made official and the vaccination site will be operating this week.
The arena in Trenton has already been operating as a COVID-19 testing site since June of 2020.
Councillors expressed concern about the availability of vaccine doses in the area and moved to draft a letter to provincial and federal government officials to help secure more doses for the area.
Mayor Jim Harrison made a plea to people urging them to book their vaccines and show up on time.
Audio Player“I support the vaccine centre at the Duncan McDonald arena very much so. Secondly, I urge people to book appointments. If you’re having problems, contact the Hastings Prince Edward health unit and they’ll help you work through it. There is a link you can use to get that. We want whatever vaccines are available, we want them used.”
Councillor Michael Kotsovos said that teachers should be bumped up the line for vaccines if schools will remain open through the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.
Audio Player“I am completely baffled why the government doesn’t allow teachers to be bumped to the front of the line. Emergency workers, yes, granted they should be number one, but if the government wants to keep the schools open and it endangers teachers I just think they should be bumped up in the line no questions asked.”
Councillor Kotsovos said that he and Councillor Terry Cassidy would be raising the same point at Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting, a board they both sit on.