Tri-City residents looking to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will have the opportunity to do so near a popular Coquitlam recreation area over the next two weeks.
The Poirier Administrative Building (640 Poirier St.) — adjacent to the Poirier Forum — is scheduled to host pop-up clinics tomorrow (Oct. 27), Nov. 3 and Nov. 7.
Last Wednesday (Oct. 20), the facility saw several hundred eligible residents aged 12 years and older get a jab against the virus — either a first, second or third dose.
The clinic comes as B.C. now requires residents to be fully vaccinated to access events and businesses where a vaccine card is needed.
As of Sunday (Oct. 24), two jabs of a vaccine are required at "discretionary" places like movie theatres, concerts or sporting events as full capacity crowds are now allowed in parts of the province where vaccination rates are high — including Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.
As of Oct. 21, the Tri-Cities has averaged an 86.4 per cent double-vaccination rate against COVID-19, as well as a 90.6 per cent single-vaxxed average.
Both statistics are ahead of the provincial average; 84.4 per cent of eligible B.C. residents 12 years and older have received two vaccine doses and 89.6 per cent have been jabbed at least once as of yesterday (Oct. 25).
Those seeking a first or second inoculation can simply walk up to the Poirier Admin Building between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 3 or Nov. 7 and receive a vaccine as capacity and supplies allow.
No appointment is necessary, but it is an option. You're encouraged to bring your personal health number and, if it's your second dose, your COVID-19 immunization record card.
Third doses are only recommended at this time for immuno-compromised people, and a full eligibility list is available on the BCCDC's website.
Meanwhile, the mass immunization clinic at Coquitlam Central Station's Park and Ride overflow lot is still accepting walk-ins for first, second or third doses during the following hours:
- 2900 Barnet Hwy.
- 9:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. = Monday to Friday
- 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. = Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
- Entrance off Mariner Way – east side of Rona. Proceed down the ramp and turn right
- The address will direct you to the main lot on the left but COVID-19 Services are located in the overflow lot to the right
- Do not cut through the Rona parking lot. Please follow the signs
COVID-19 SCHOOL EXPOSURE EVENTS
Tri-Cities schools are still getting hit with exposure events — many with multiple dates.
Four Port Coquitlam schools were identified on the weekend for new or additional exposure dates between Oct. 18 and 22, according to Fraser Health:
- École des Pionniers de Maillardville (SD93), a French-language school, with additional dates of Oct. 18 and 19 added to earlier exposure notices
- Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary (Independent), with exposure dates of Oct. 19 and 20
- Kilmer Elementary, with Oct. 18 and 19 exposures
- Maple Creek Middle, with Oct. 18 and 19 exposures
There are now 11 schools in the Tri-Cities with exposure dates (see list below).
The BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) said a study of COVID-19 information provided by B.C.’s health authorities found numerous discrepancies, and is calling for more transparency and clarity around exposure notices for schools.
“It’s unacceptable that, over a year-and-a-half into this pandemic, there is still no province-wide consistency in how exposures and clusters in schools are defined and reported,” stated BCTF president Teri Mooring in a news release.
“Parents and teachers look to their school district and local health authority for information about what’s happening in their schools, and it has become very clear that the information provided and the communication to school communities is not painting an accurate picture."
BCTF wants the province to:
- standardize definitions of exposure, cluster, and outbreak across all health authorities
- take steps to address reported delays in contact tracing in all health authorities and in particular the Northern Health region
- address transparency and consistency concerns by posting and communicating all school exposure notices broadly to school communities
Here are the current school exposure dates for the Tri-Cities:
COQUITLAM
- Maillard Middle: Oct. 13, 14, 15 and 18
- Scott Creek Middle: Oct. 13 and 14
- Gleneagle Secondary: Oct. 14 and 15
- Pinetree Secondary: Oct. 18 and 19
PORT COQUITLAM
- École des Pionniers de Maillardville (SD93): Oct. 12, 13, 18 and 19
- Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary (Indep.): Oct. 19 and 20
- James Park Elementary: Oct. 18
- Kilmer Elementary: Oct 18 and 19
- Kwayhquitlum Middle: Oct. 18
- Pitt River Middle: Oct. 13, 14 and 15
- Maple Creek Middle: Oct. 18 and 19
Meanwhile, local health area COVID-19 cases are continuing to trend downward in the Tri-Cities, with 114 recorded between Oct. 10 and 16, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
This marks a 10 per cent drop compared to the previous count of 127 between Oct. 3 and 9, which is calculated via the Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Local Health Area of Case Residence data.
- with files from Diane Strandberg, Tri-City News
