Then West Nipissing General Hospital staff will be receiving their first dose of vaccinations on March 4th.
According to Cynthia Desormiers, WNGH CEO, long-term care and other hospital staff who meet various criteria will be vaccinated Thursday through Monday.
It’s something that has left Desormiers in a very good mood.
“It’s an incredible feeling. It’s so exciting. It feels like Christmas morning. It’s a present we’ve been waiting for, wanting for the last year and it’s finally here,” said Desormiers.
Desormiers says that over the last year a lot has changed. From the initial lockdown to the loosening of restrictions and back into shutdown, the hospital has had to adapt every step of the way.
“Various daily screenings, mandatory masking, no visitors in the general hospital, most doors locked with the unlocked doors having even more screening; so much has changed. I think people will have a big sigh of relief after today as we see the first glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting ready for a new norm. A new future,” she said.
Despite the feeling of hope, Desormiers says that her staff will not let their guard down and continue with all of the restrictions and guidelines set by the province.
“We’ve done something right this last year. Low cases in our community and knock on wood no outbreak in the hospital. We will continue doing all of those good things despite the fact that we’re being vaccinated today,” she said.
Though her staff is getting vaccinated over the next few days Desormiers says their role in the mass vaccination rollout will continue to be a main focus.
“Myself, our Chief of Staff, key people at our municipality and public health are all working together. We are not losing sight and we are still partners in the game. We still have our eye on the ball and hopefully, by summer, the mass vaccinations will go off without a hitch. Between today’s administering of the vaccine, and earlier in February when we vaccinated our LTC residents, we recognize the processes that work well, and processes we need to tweak. We will be ready when it comes to the general population,” finished Desormiers.