While a fall lockdown isn’t likely, even with COVID-19 cases continuing to climb in Niagara, the region’s public health officials continue to point to the portion of unvaccinated residents who play a key role in driving the pandemic onward.
Dr. Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health for the Niagara region, said that those opting to not get the jab could eventually be finding themselves in a situation where they will experience restrictions, where those fully vaccinated can continue to enjoy services and open amenities, as the province moves closer to implementing a so-called vaccine passport.
“These restrictions are unprecedented. We have not seen those sorts of things in modern times,” said Hirji, expressing that he is aware that some people have had barriers to accessing vaccines, such as single parents, or individuals with more than one job, who have not been able to get the shot yet.
“On the flip side, another lockdown would mean lots and lots of business owners losing their income, and their employees finding themselves out of work. Marginalized people who depend on those businesses for work will be the ones suffering most from that.”
He described the scenario of restricting the unvaccinated in different ways as the least bad among the potential future situations that could lay ahead as the more contagious Delta-variant is now dominating the spread.
Noting an upward curve in the province as well as Niagara, Hirji said being next-door to Hamilton, that has become the provincial hotspot for new cases, the school re-opening next week, and continued mobility to and from the region, has the potential of once again putting hospitals under heavy pressure.
As of Monday, just over 65 percent of Niagara residents had received a full series of vaccines.
“82 percent of those hospitalized in Niagara in August were unvaccinated,” said Hirji.
“9 percent were fully vaccinated, and 9 percent were partly vaccinated. It shows that the cases are mostly spreading among those who are unvaccinated. Exclude them from the equation, and the risk of infection falls very sharply.”
