THUNDER BAY — The mayor of Thunder Bay wants the Ontario government to consider expanding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.
Bill Mauro has written Premier Doug Ford and General (Ret'd) Rick Hillier – the chair of the province's vaccine distribution task force – suggesting that areas such as the Thunder Bay district should be included for priority distribution.
The letter was sent Monday and made public Tuesday.
The mayor makes reference to a virtual meeting last month in which the government said it would make areas designated red and grey under its COVID-19 framework as the priority areas for distribution when more vaccine becomes available.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is currently designated orange, but Mauro writes that there may be only a marginal difference between the infection rate in orange and red zones.
In addition, he says some areas of the province have "more challenging acuity health numbers and larger proportional at-risk" populations.
Specifically, the mayor notes that the population within the Thunder Bay District Health Unit's coverage area has higher rates of chronic disease, including those that would be at higher risk should they contract COVID-19.
As well as having higher rates of diabetes, cancer and COPD, Mauro points to higher rates of obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption.
"I would ask that you additionally consider other facts as well, that if ignored, could have negative consequential health outcomes," he says.
The mayor says he has pointed out previously that the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre could be overwhelmed if the incidence of COVID-19 accelerates in Northwestern Ontario as it has in the south.
"Some hospitals in southern Ontario cannot meet patient need and require transfer to other hospitals...the very situation we hope to avoid here."
In an interview after the letter was made public, Mauro said "I'm just hoping they can just keep an open mind...I know this is difficult, I'm not looking to be critical of the work they're taking on. This is just to cast the net a little wider and consider a few variables beyond just the red and grey."
