Our region’s ability to continually navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic can be greatly attributed to the personal sacrifices made by individuals and businesses. Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury has greatly benefitted from the constant guidance provided from both local health units.  Our public health experts and front-line workers have shown tremendous dedication and leadership through these challenging times and for that they deserve our sincere gratitude.

I’d like to emphasize the resilience showcased by Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Chief Medical Officer at Public Health Sudbury and District (PHSD) and Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer at the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (serving populations in West Nipissing) and their team. Their sharing of transparent, timely and expert information empowered more than 84.3% of eligible individuals in the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit encashment area and 85.4% of eligible individuals in the PHSD encashment to get fully vaccinated. I wish to offer my sincere thanks for each individual contribution and sacrifices made over the duration of this pandemic. The countless hours away from loved ones to help offer some peace of mind is greatly appreciated.

Vaccine eligibility has recently been broadened with Health Canada’s authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine made for children aged 5 to 11. This vaccine for children has a smaller dose than the vaccine for those 12 years of age and older. The interest expressed at recent children vaccination clinics is encouraging!

However, vaccination hesitancy remains a challenge for communities across the country. Despite scientific proof that vaccines are effective and safe, many are still too skeptical to get a vaccine. Hundreds of millions of people have been vaccinated worldwide. The vaccines are safe and have proven to be the best defence to reduce illness and ease the massive pressures encountered by far too many hospitals and their workforces across the country. We can all help dispel myths surrounding vaccines by only sharing credible, fact based and timely information.

To further protect those on the frontline, our government has recently proposed Bill C-3 which would amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code. This legislation aims in part to make it an offence to:

• Intimidate a person while they are obtaining health services, a health professional in order to impede them in the performance of their duties or a person who assists a health professional in order to impede the person in providing that assistance;
• Intentionally prevent or interfere with lawful access by others to a place where health services are provided by a health professional. subject to a ban on going there for the sole purpose of obtaining or communicating information;

This is an important Bill as doctors in Latchford, and other locations in Northern Ontario have been threatened over the course of the pandemic. Recently, parents and children have been threatened and intimidated at vaccine clinics in North Bay. These acts must stop. I support the right to protest, however, this is not the appropriate way or place to do so – it is truly unacceptable. I have faith all parties will wholeheartedly support and help pass Bill C-3 quickly.  

I commend our local health units for their constant support and willingness to work collaboratively with all levels of government to offer guidance to businesses, residents, school boards, childcare providers and other public health agencies in need. I know our meetings have been most fruitful and have helped me relay your concerns to Ottawa.

Your commitment continues to inspire and encourage each of us to do our part in stopping the spread of the virus. With the winter months upon us and the Holidays Season just around the corner it can be tempting to ease up on our personal commitment to avoid non-essential activities and large gatherings. However, with new variants of concern emerging, and elevated local COVID-19 rates we must continue washing our hands, wearing a mask and encourage those around us to do the same.

I urge all individuals to please get vaccinated if you haven’t yet done so. Vaccination is one of the most effective tools we have at our disposal to protect broader public health in the face of COVID-19, and to prevent future outbreaks. Vaccination - used in combination with preventative public health measures - offers the best available protection for Canadians and will contribute to reaching the overall levels of vaccination to sustain a resilient economic recovery and to protect the millions of children and others who are currently unable to be vaccinated and vulnerable to infection. It is also proven to be a catalyst enabling varied industries to re-open to help rebuild our economy. 

Marc G. Serré
MP Nickel Belt

Contact
Kaylie Dudgeon
Special Assistant, Marc G. Serré MP Nickel Belt
[email protected] / 705-507-2416