By Pepper Parr
January 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We are being asked to stay at home.
We are being asked to go out only when we must and we are being asked to not meet with people who are not part of our immediate circle.
Supermarkets, Big Box stores and other places people go to for the supplies they need are being told to limit the number of people in their premises.
There are all kinds of rules in place, many that are confusing. Bureaucracy run amok.
For the most part the public is complying and waiting.
Waiting for the information they need that will allow them to feel a little more settled and less anxious.
When am I going to get vaccinated and who is going to tell me when that will happen and where will I go to get that vaccination?
Will I get a letter? Will they tweet me?
Will the vaccinations be done by age group?
Will they bring people in for vaccination by alphabetical order within each age group that is decided upon?
Or will they have everyone in a family come in at the same time?
Has all this not been thought out?
In Burlington, no one, as of Tuesday, was all that certain as to which facilities would be used for the vaccinations.
A Task Force created to work through these issues advised that it thought school locations would be best but had not invited anyone from the School Boards to sit on the Task Force.
The Task Force is being led by the Fire Chief and the City Manager’s top aide on matters related to the managing of the issues related to Covid-19.
Both good people – now they need to create a consistent flow of information to settle an anxious public.
I am totally in awe why the Burlington Fire Chief is a lead on the COVID Task Force working hand-in-hand with the assistant to the City Manager.
My immediate reaction is that such an important assignment implies that both the Fire Chief and the City Manager have time on their hand and are under utilized in their current positions!
Let me wake up the Council to reality. There is a deadly PANDEMIC that needs immediate attention. In my view (being greater than 80 with exiting conditions) the Task Force is NOT a part time position it is a full time job. Remember, even the most optimistic are predicting the Pandemic to last until the end of the year and with all the new strains arising this may not be a realistic goal
I now understand why Burlington does not have any published detailed plan to deliver the vaccine to its citizens other than a few fluffy diagrams with accompanying fluffy verbiage.
I doubt there ever will be a vaccination plan until the Task Force has dedicated resources without a political agenda and has a time commitment that does not have to fit into their day-jobs
The simple fact that we are asking these questions tells me there is a lack of solidarity from the regional level to the cities. MMW put a task force together that does not address the big picture. The foundation to get 180K people in this city vaccinated should have been addressed last spring. we all knew it was coming but the task force appears blind sided and playing catchup. Regional Health should be leading the way and not politicians. This is evident across this country with others running interference for their political gains.
It is essential that information be provided on procedures and hen vaccine will provided
Would this be the same Emergency Covid Task Force that Halton Police Chief Steven Tanner is on? or Oakville Mayor Rob Burton ? Rather hypocritical and matter needs to be addressed
It would be reassuring to see a more granular plan. Including the timeline for vaccinating all people.
Mayor MMW has some clearer, yet still opaque, information on at this page. https://mariannemeedward.ca/covid-19-task-force/ontarios-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-task-force-updates/