The Montérégie-Ouest Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSSMO) is stepping up its vaccination campaign in the Haut-Saint-Laurent with the announcement of at least six mobile vaccination clinics throughout the region over the next two weeks.
In terms of vaccination rates, the Haut-Saint-Laurent is still lagging behind neighbouring regions by several percentage points. According to the Institute National de Santé Publique du Québec, 69.3 percent of the eligible population in the Haut-Saint-Laurent had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by August 2, while the regional average across the Montérégie now sits at 75.7 percent. The most recent round of statistics released by the public health authority includes a note stating that because the population in Akwesasne is able to be vaccinated outside of Quebec (in Ontario and the United States), provincial vaccination records do not accurately account for this population. As such, the population of Akwesasne has been removed from the total population of the Haut-Saint-Laurent’s being used to calculate vaccination rates. This decision led to a significant bump in the statistics, which had been hovering under 62 percent for several weeks.
Currently, over 54.7 percent of the population in the Haut-Saint-Laurent has received two doses and is considered to be adequately protected from the COVID-19 virus, however the 18 to 29 and 30 to 39 age cohorts remain significantly lower at 36.1 and 38.4 percent respectively.
The CISSSMO announced several weeks ago that it would be targeting the Haut-Saint-Laurent specifically in an effort to improve vaccination rates, and especially those in the younger age cohorts. One tactic that seems to have helped has been to render the vaccines more accessible by holding pop-up mobile vaccination clinics during events and where people already tend to gather.
Upcoming walk-in vaccination clinics with a minimum of around 108 doses available each day will take place on August 6, as of 9 a.m. at Salaberry Park in Howick; August 9 as of 3 p.m. at the Cécile Rochefort Park in Saint-Chrysostome; August 11 as of 10 a.m. at the Marché du Vieux Bois in Hinchinbrooke; August 15 as of 10 a.m. during the Demolition Derby at the Huntingdon Fairgrounds in Hinchinbrooke; August 16 as of 9 a.m. at the municipal town hall in Très-Saint-Sacrement; and on August 19 as of 9 a.m. at the CLSC in Huntingdon.
Both first and second doses of the vaccine can be administered during the mobile vaccination clinics. A waiting period of 28 days must be observed between doses. The Moderna vaccine is only available to those over the age of 18, while the Pfizer vaccine may be given to those aged 12 and up. More information on the vaccination clinics, including whether the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will be available, can be found online at www.santemonteregie.qc.ca/vaccination-contre-la-covid-19-en-monteregie.
It is also still possible to reserve an appointment at the permanent vaccination clinics in Ormstown or Salaberry-de-Valleyfield through the Clicsante.ca website.
Cases on the rise, restrictions further loosened
The total number of cases being diagnosed per day across Quebec in on the rise, including in the Montérégie which has registered an increase in positive test results since July 25. There are currently two outbreaks in the Montérégie. The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent has zero COVID cases, the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville has recorded two cases, while 6 cases have been diagnosed in the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, and 21 in the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The spread of the Delta variant continues to be monitored closely across the province, with at least 65 cases having been identified in the Montérégie.
Despite daily numbers having consistently climbed in recent days, the Quebec government has continued to loosen restrictions. As of this past Sunday, alcohol in bars may now be served until 1 a.m., and the maximum number of participants in outdoor festivals and concerts, as well as spectators in stadiums, has been tripled to 15,000. Social distancing measures remain in place for both outdoor and indoor events.