(March 7, 2021) – : Charlene Walsh, PC Candidate for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, says she’s concerned about seniors traveling treacherous winter roads to access their vaccinations.

Walsh says vaccines are being offered in the area in the hospital at Harbour Breton. She says she’s aware of a number of seniors in St. Alban’s who have refused to make the trip, citing the lengthy drive through winter conditions as a barrier to accessing the vaccinations.

“Vaccinations have to be accessible to all people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The highway to Harbour Breton is treacherous in the dead of winter and seniors aged 85 and over are being asked to make the almost hour and a half journey. There is a fully functioning and staffed clinic in St. Alban’s that could be administering these vaccines to the people of the area, yet it is not being used,” said Walsh.

“To me, it raises the question of whether the future of the clinic in St. Alban’s is being considered for cuts as part of the Greene Report. Last year, there were staffing cuts at the clinic, now it’s not being utilized for these purposes. Why else is this clinic not being utilized for vaccine distribution?”

Walsh is calling on the Liberal government to increase distribution points for vaccinations on the South Coast and throughout the province to ensure safe access to the inoculations that will end this pandemic.

While it’s good news that Harbour Breton is a vaccination site, Walsh says other parts of the region need similar access.

“We know these vaccines are essential to putting the pandemic behind the province and it’s important for the entire population to make the choice to get vaccinated,” said Walsh.

“But that means government needs to ensure vaccinations are as accessible as possible to the entire population, which means more distribution points are vital to ending this pandemic so we can focus on rebuilding the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Communications

(p) (709) 769-2216

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