Additional Vaccination Clinics Coming To Moose Jaw

With the rapid rise of COVID - 19 cases caused by the more readily transmissible and virulent Variants Of Concern (VOC) there is a bit of good news for Moose Jaw and that is there will soon be two additional vaccination clinics in the community.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has announced there will be two new drop-in clinics in addition to the appointment only clinic located in rented space at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company. The clinics are made possible by an unexpected delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine between April 1st - April 7th.

The clinics will be available to those 55 years of age and over only due to age restrictions on who may receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The SHA is expecting 55,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered during this time period.

For Moose Jaw the additional doses of AstraZeneca means that a walk-in clinic will open on April 7th and a drive-thru clinic is scheduled to open April 9th. The locations of the two new drop-in clinics has yet to be made public.

The arrival of the two clinics means there will be three clinics in the city.

All vaccines will be available on a first come, first saved basis and vaccinations will be made until the supply of the vaccine is exhausted.

“Vaccinations are the quickest path out of the pandemic event,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a release. “We need to provide as many residents with safe and effective immunization as quickly as possible, prioritizing drive thrus for those centres with increased COVID-19 transmission rates.”

VOCs are more transmissible and virulent forms of the original coronavirus that causes COVID - 19. The reason why concerns have been raised about certain mutations of the virus is the rapid transmissible speed of the mutation. Over time all viruses mutate.

Over the past 10 days the growing number of cases has made Moose Jaw and area the center of the second fastest growing rate of people contracting COVID - 19 in the province. Second only to Regina.

The rate of spread of COVID - 19 VOC cases in the community has led to both the Prairie South School Division and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division closing their Moose Jaw schools until at least the end of the Easter break on April 12th and moving to an on-line learning format.

Cornerstone Christian School, a Prairie South affiliate school, closed its doors on March 24th after Public Health determined all students attending school between March 15th and March 19th as close contacts forcing all students to self-isolate until April 7th according to a March 26th letter.

Premier Scott Moe has said the Province is not considering enacting tougher restrictions on Moose Jaw, as has happened in Regina, but at the same time he has urged people to follow recommendations which are the same as the partial lockdown declared for Regina.

The Premier has also stated that vaccines are the only sure means out of the pandemic and the Province is going to administer tens of thousands of doses of vaccine as they become available over the next few weeks.