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Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro will give an update on Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout Monday afternoon.
Kenney and Shandro will speak at 3:30 p.m.
Shandro tweeted Monday morning that he would be making an announcement at that time about offering vaccines to the 15,000 workers at meatpacking plants starting this week.
“To help vaccinate as many workers as quickly as possible, a combination of on-site and community locations will be used. We’ll be contacting the plants to confirm how the vaccinations will be delivered,” he said, adding more details will be unveiled Monday afternoon.
Last week, the province cancelled plans at the last minute to launch a vaccine clinic at Cargill, which was slated to be Canada’s first major workplace immunization effort, due to a delay in shipments of the Moderna vaccine.
“I am relieved and pleased that we can now offer vaccines to these essential workers,” Shandro tweeted Monday.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Expo Centre is no longer functioning as a walk-in clinic for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Sunday was the last day for most of the Alberta Health Services rapid flow clinics due to high demand for the AstraZeneca doses.
The clinics in Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray will continue to have walk-in spots available over the next few days.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo declared a state of local emergency over the weekend in response to rising cases in the area.
The region has more active cases and workplace outbreaks than anywhere else in rural Alberta and leads the province in viral spread per capita.
Fort McMurray’s public and Catholic schools have moved all classes online for at least two weeks as a result.
More to come
With files from Stephanie Babych and Vincent McDermott
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