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DAYS A YEAR DAYS PRESCRIPTIONS? Clinic 2 Locations Morden OPEN 365 QUESTIONS? Drugstore Drugstore By Menzies Medical Centre 215 Stephen Street, Morden VISIT OUR DRUGSTORES! ĨĂĀąĩƫĉĂĂġćććĈƫđƫ,!*ƫ +*ċƫġƫ.%ċƫ To Serve You Better (204) 822-9992 Winkler Morden THURSDAY, VOLUME 12 EDITION 12 MARCH 25, 2021 VVLocally ownedoiceoice & operated - Dedicated to serving our communities Touring our supersite PHOTO BY LORNE STELMACH/VOICE Premier Brian Pallister was joined by Morden-Winkler MLA Cameron Friesen and Health Minister Heather Stefanson in touring the new Morden vaccination supersite, which opened in the Access Event Centre community hall on Monday. For the full story, check out our stories on Pg. 2 and Pg. 3. news > sports > opinion > community > people > entertainment > events > classifi eds > careers > everything you need to know 2 The Winkler Morden Voice Thursday, March 25, 2021 Morden hosting pilot for new vaccination process By Lorne Stelmach registration desk to a waiting area and then to the immunization room and The new COVID-19 vaccination su- fi nally to a post-immunization obser- persite that opened in Morden this vation area. week is testing a new way of doing An immunizer is responsible for re- things that aims to make it easier and constituting the vaccine and drawing more comfortable for patients while it into the needle, delivering the vac- also signifi cantly increasing the num- cine, and checking and updating a ber of vaccines that can be provided. client’s immunization records. With Premier Brian Pallister and Health these responsibilities, immunizers are Minister Heather Stefanson along able to provide six to eight immuniza- with other health offi cials touted the tions per hour. improvements after touring the Ac- In the new process, people will en- cess Event Centre site last week be- ter the site, register, and be escorted fore its opening day on Monday. to a station, where a staff member will Pallister said there have been ongo- come to them to review their consent ing efforts to build a fl exible and more form. Some staff will be assigned to effi cient vaccine rollout plan for the reconstitute and fi ll the needles with province. vaccine to accelerate the process, “The more vaccine we deliver, the while other staff members will focus more we learn how to improve our on checking and updating immuniza- processes and ramp up delivery, just tion records. as vaccine delivery is poised to ramp Immunizers will move from client to up from the federal government,” he client with a cart of supplies, meaning PHOTO BY LORNE STELMACH/VOICE said. “We will continue to learn from they are able to focus on immunizing. Public health offi cials explain the Morden site will use a new system our experiences and best practices “With this model, there is no move- designed to move people through the vaccination process more ef- from across the country to increase ment, so once you come into the site fi ciently. our capacity to deliver life-saving vac- and they check you in with your ap- cines and protect Manitobans.” pointment, you go to your chair and each person spends in the clinic is ex- have the option of expanding the “We’re always looking for opportu- you remain there for your entire visit,” pected to decrease, on average to 25 hours of operation in order to deliver nities to improve the experience of Tjaden explained. “The team has a minutes from 45 minutes including a more vaccine. the people coming in for immuniza- cart with an immunizer ... they will required 15-minute recovery period “With the amount that we have right tions and to provide the services in move around and come to you.” “With this model, when the immu- now and based on the population in the most effi cient ways that are pos- This new method is expected to nizer is very focused on doing that this area, they’re going to be running sible while still maintaining safety at vastly increase the number of im- part of it, they’re able to do much eight-hour clinics ... that could abso- all times,” said Lynda Tjaden, execu- munizations they can complete in an higher numbers, so we are looking at lutely could be expanded if there was tive director for population and pub- hour. 60 to 90 in an hour,” Tjaden suggested. more vaccine because then we can lic health with Manitoba Health. This model will be especially benefi - “This is new; it’s a pilot, so we don’t run more days of the week, we can Up to now, people visiting a super- cial for people with mobility or other know exactly what it will look like, but run longer hours.” site to be immunized walk from the accessibility needs. The total time we do have the team here very keen “We have learned from the success to work with us to test it out ... if we’re of our focused immunization teams able to be more effi cient, it just means and from other jurisdictions to devel- that we are able to immunize more op this model,” said Stefanson. “The people more quickly.” goal is to expand that success on a The overall capacity of the clinic is larger scale. This will allow for more “WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO also dependent on supply though, she rapid turnover between clients and IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PEOPLE COMING IN added. less waiting, which will allow us to “Capacity is really based on the immunize more people every day and FOR IMMUNIZATIONS ...” amount of vaccine that we have avail- get the vaccine to more Manitobans able to us,” said Tjaden. “We always sooner.” 210416C0 210416C1 The Winkler Morden Voice Thursday, March 25, 2021 3 Keep playing defence: Pallister By Lorne Stelmach potential for good capacity here de- pending on vaccine supply. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister “I think we can get up to about 4,000 heralded the opening of the vaccina- a week. I think in the fi rst week we’ll tion supersite in Morden this week as start a little more slowly to work out another key step in the province’s ef- any kinks. We’re looking at about 1,400 forts in the battle against COVID-19. or so in the fi rst week,” he suggested. Touring the Access Event Centre site “The idea being make sure we get it Friday along with other government right before we get it fast, make sure and health offi cials, Pallister also used that we’re able to get people through the occasion to urge Manitobans to the experience safely, make sure that not let down their guard even as re- our staff are safe, make sure that our strictions continue to ease in Mani- navigators and our other folks learn toba. their roles.” PHOTO BY LORNE STELMACH/VOICE “Please follow the fundamentals be- Pallister also stressed that the more Premier Brian Pallister (centre) was joined by Morden-Winkler MLA cause that’s how we get back our nor- Manitobans that go and get vacci- Cameron Friesen and Health Minister Heather Stefanson in touring mal lives,” he said, not- nated, the better off we the new vaccination supersite in Morden last week. ing that just seven per will all be. cent of the Manitoba “As soon as the vac- happened as a consequence of people many others have suffered with the population had been cines become available giving each other COVID. disease. vaccinated to date. “We “FOLLOW THE for you, please take “We didn’t know as much then as “So, knowing that, I think that more have the ability to limit advantage of that op- we do now,” he continued. “Folks who and more people have changed their the way that it impacts FUNDAMENTALS portunity because we said, ‘Well I don’t really believe in this minds about the issue of COVID and on us and our friends BECAUSE THAT’S want to get to what’s because I haven’t seen it’... okay, we around COVID, and they’re willing to and neighbours, so I called herd immunity can make room for their doubting, but be part of keeping that curve bent. look forward to seeing HOW WE GET when all of us are able if we knew then what we know now “As we move into other sites ... we’re this centre be very suc- BACK TO OUR to make sure we’re not ... now we have had the reinforcement going to be looking really forward to cessful. going to be affected by of losing people. Over 900 Manito- helping, to loosen restrictions safely “Manitoba has had NORMAL LIVES.” COVID,” he said. “Get- bans lost their lives so far to this hor- as we move forward.” some of the most strin- ting that safety level rible affl iction ... and we know too that gent restrictions ... higher is what this is we look forward to getting our lives all about for us in Manitoba so we can back,” Pallister said. “In the meantime, get our lives back as people and as SPRING IS IN THE AIR!!!!! I would say again, remember to keep small business people. playing defence.” “I believe very much that Manito- Last chance to enter customer appreciation basket. Draw is March 29! Pallister praised Morden for step- bans have bent the curve, the COVID ping up and embracing hosting the curve, but now we need the vaccines supersite. to make sure that we keep it down.” “People care deeply about their Pallister also touched on the anti- community and about protecting vaccine sentiment and opposition to each other.