Manitoba funds clinics to help Indigenous people get vaccinated against COVID-19
The Manitoba government is investing in helping increase vaccination rates among First Nations, Metis and Inuit people.
The province announced on Friday that it is investing nearly $2.8 million to go towards supporting and expanding the roles of urban Indigenous vaccine clinics.
The investment is in partnership with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO).
Of the investment, $2.1 million is earmarked to extend the clinics at the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata location in Winnipeg until December 2021.
Another $250,000 will also go to these organizations for mobile vaccine clinics which will operate in Downtown Winnipeg and in Point Douglas neighbourhoods which will include door-to-door outreach.
Clinics in Portage la Prairie, Thompson and Brandon will also be extended until the end of the year with a $347,000 investment. Those clinics include the Portage la Prairie Renewal Corporation, Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre in Thompson, and the Brandon Friendship Centre.
A new staff position will open up at Ongomiizwin Health Services with a $65,000 investment. This position will be a liaison between the vaccine task force, Indigenous governance organizations, and vaccine providers.
Lastly, $33,000 will go to immunization clinics that were held by the Manitoba Inuit Association that happened earlier this year.
David Monias, Vice-Chief of the MKO, said he is happy to see the government is stepping up to help the Indigenous community.
"We can only do this in unity, we can only do it together, to fight together, to protect our citizens, the most vulnerable people," said Monias.
Mayor Brian Bowman added this is an important step in removing barriers for people to be vaccinated.
"We're all Manitobans, we're all Canadians and our battle is against this virus," said Bowman.
With the investment, the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre are now open to all community members in addition to Indigenous people.
The centres will also provide influenza vaccines in the fall and youth catch-up immunizations for anyone who has missed vaccines over the last two years.
Della Herrera, the executive director of the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre, said this investment allows the centre to support those living in encampments.
"Our goal is to visit every encampment under the bridge community in as many populated meeting hubs as we can over the next three months," said Herrera. "This extension will allow us to provide QR codes and vaccine cards to our community."
Dr. Marcia Anderson, the public health lead of the Manitoba First Nation Pandemic Response Coordination Team, said as of Thursday vaccine coverage for people living on reserve is over 90 per cent, and added that only 16 per cent of people in hospital are First Nations and there is only one First Nations person in ICU with COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.