Progress continues to be made on vaccine rollout at area long-term care and retirement homes.
Theresa Marentette, the CEO and Chief Nursing Officer at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says the health unit has been to all but one retirement home in the region to assist administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
"We just want to keep moving because if we can protect the residents and the staff in the long term care homes and retirement homes, like that is huge for our area," says Marentette. "We've been hard hit, all of the retirement homes and long term care homes in our area have gone through a lot through this pandemic."
She says the goal is to attend the final home on Thursday, adding the home was recently declared in outbreak which caused a slight delay.
"There are also more homes that need first doses but due to our vaccine supply, we have to reschedule those until we actually receive our supply and can make sure we have enough vaccine to provide the second doses," says Marentette.
She says long term care and retirement homes in the region have been hit hard during the pandemic.
"I can only imagine that the vaccine offers some hope and some relief for them so just want to keep moving and want to get more vaccine," says Marentette.
Even though the health unit has attended majority of the homes, Marentette says there are still some residents, staff and essential caregivers that still need to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
There are 44 long term care and retirement homes in Windsor-Essex.