Wednesday April 6, I spoke in response to a Ministerial statement to pay tribute to the work that Dr Joss Reimer has done during the pandemic. My comments are below.
Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker,
Manitoba Liberal MLAs join all other MLAs in recognizing the efforts and the
achievements of Dr. Joss Reimer and her team in leading the effort to get
as many Manitobans as possible vaccinated to protect them from COVID‑19
infections. It has been a major effort and has been very important in
protecting all Manitobans from the serious impacts of the SARS‑CoV‑2 virus
infection.
The
latest data from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States clearly
shows that unvaccinated people aged 12 years and older have a 21‑fold higher
risk of dying from COVID‑19 and a seven‑fold higher risk of being hospitalized
from COVID-19 than individuals who are vaccinated with a primary series and a
booster dose. With such high risks it is important, as Dr. Reimer
emphasizes it, that everyone who can get a booster dose as well as the primary
vaccination series.
We thank
Dr. Reimer, not only for her role in leading the rollout of the vaccination
program, but also for her role in communicating effectively, including
referring to the scientific basis for decisions which have been made.
As we
all know, the job of controlling the COVID‑19 pandemic and protecting
Manitobans is not over. The evidence, even though we're no longer getting the
daily dashboard updates, suggests that we're likely entering the sixth wave. We
should not let down our guard. We should continue to pay attention to masks and
to improving ventilation. And with respect to ventilation, we still have a way
to go to improve the ventilation in all schools.
Let us
today honour and thank Dr. Joss Reimer for her tremendous contributions,
which have been large and have been much appreciated. We wish Dr. Reimer
well in her new position with the WRHA.
Thank
you.
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