Statement from Mayor Hewitt & Council – March 3, 2021

COVID-19 Update

I know that many of you are anxious and frustrated about the information surrounding the vaccines. It is a very fluid situation and the news around vaccines and its rollouts have changed almost daily.

We have been working hard with the Health Unit to ensure that when the larger rollout of vaccines are available to the general public. We will be ready. A lot of work and planning has gone in behind the scenes to respond to the needs of our communities.

The challenge is communicating to all of you what is happening. By the time I post this, I am sure that there will be another change brought to us by the Feds or the Province. In any event, I assure you that the effectiveness of our rollout program will not be because we are not ready but will be due primarily to things out of our control such as supplies of vaccinations or decisions made from outside of the region.

I have received many questions regarding the rollout and through time I am sure there will be many more. But for now I have copied what I think are the most pertinent points. As information becomes available, we will do our best to pass it on to all of you.

Key stats

Vaccine doses administered so far: 5,885

Number of people completely vaccinated: 1,573

Vaccines for those 80 and over

Haldimand and Norfolk’s Vaccine Task Force is preparing to vaccinate up to 5,000 people against COVID-19 in the coming weeks as area vaccination efforts start to ramp up

In line with the Province’s vaccination framework, vaccines are now available to those 80 years of age and older.

In addition to clinics already running at Norfolk General Hospital and the Vittoria Community Centre, the clinic at the Dunnville Lifespan Centre will move to Cayuga Memorial Arena this weekend, vaccinating up to 1,000 people per day.

Additional Health Unit-run clinics will be opened in the coming weeks.

Making an appointment

Family doctors will be in touch with patients 80 years of age and older to discuss vaccination plans and facilitate the appointment booking process.

Do NOT call your doctor, the Health Unit or area hospitals to book an appointment.

A vaccination appointment booking process is being developed for those without a family doctor or whose doctor is outside of Haldimand and Norfolk – details to come.

Questions about vaccines

The Health Unit has launched a dedicated COVID-19 vaccine phone line and email address for questions about vaccinations

519-427-5903

vaccine@hnhss.ca

The phone line and email address are NOT for booking vaccinations.

Caledonia Protest Update

I am sure that you all are appreciative that the roads have now been opened up and that traffic can now move along without any intervention. I am grateful to the community of Six Nations, who stood up against the anarchy of these individuals and demanded that they remove the barricades. It’s a shame that when the protestors state they act by consensus, no one takes them to task that consensus was not apparent when they chose to block roads and destroy property in they way they did.

In any event, there is ongoing dialogue with leaders on Six Nations along with representatives of the Province and Feds. Due to COVID, meetings have not taken place in the capacity that all would like which has delayed things. That said, I remain hopeful that we will be able to resolve some of these outstanding issues and we can arrive at a solution that will benefit all living in Haldimand and Six Nations.

Haldimand County will still continue to hold anyone accountable for contradicting the injunction issued by the judge and fully expects that all those attending the site or involved in destruction of property will be held to the fullest extent of the law.

Yesterday, a dangerous individual, Alex Huntert was once again arrested for breaking his conditions and bail, and today once again our courts have released him on new and more conditions. Not only should we expect more from the senior decision makers of the OPP, we should demand more from our legal system. What message is being sent when time and time again, these individuals can be brought in front of the justice, to only be released so they can breach the very same conditions they keep getting arrested for? Enough is enough and we all must demand more from the Province, to put more accountability and teeth into our legal system.

Stay Safe,

Mayor Ken Hewitt