Grey Bruce region’s top doctor says until a safe, effective vaccine is widely available, mitigation measures are the public’s best defence against COVID.
“We need to adapt our businesses and activities with mitigation measures to minimize the risk of transmission in order to protect the vulnerable,” said Dr. Ian Arra, medical officer of health for the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
“This virus is not going to stop until we stop it. It is not the hospital, it is not the health unit, it is all of us doing the right thing that is making a difference,” Arra said during a public meeting held last night.
He points to the importance of the ‘three W’s’ – Watch your distance, wash your hands and wear a mask correctly.
Arra is anticipating the development of an effective COVID vaccine by early 2021.
“I am cautiously optimistic we will see a vaccine at the end of this year, beginning of next year,” he said, adding that in order to achieve herd immunity, at least 70 per cent of the population will need to be vaccinated.
“All we need is herd immunity of 60/70 per cent,” Arra said.
“With measles, for example, we need 92-95 per cent to have the outbreak under control. With COVID, it is less infectious than measles and if we get 70 per cent of the population vaccinated, we can protect the other percentage of the population as well.”
Arra urges residents to be diligent with the current COVID-mitigation measures as he says, "late fall will be a critical period."
“The milestone I would look at is late-September and mid-October, once the schools have opened and the mild weather comes back. We need to see what happens there and we need to be prepared,” Arra said.
