News for Chéticamp and surrounding areas from March 14 to 21, 2021.

- On Wednesday March 17th, on Saint-Patrick’s Day, 63 out of the 65 Foyer Père Fiset residents received their 1st shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Two residents refused to get it. All Foyer staff are booked to receive their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine this coming week, including the immunization team – Clinical Care Coordinator Tiffany Couture, RN and Staff Immunizer Brenda Poirier, Director of Resident Care Cathy Spence and IPAC designate and Immunizer Rose Marie. Caregivers, two people appointed by the resident or the next of kin, will get vaccinated on March 24th.  After residents received their shots, they celebrated Saint-Patrick’s Day.

- This week, the provincial government expanded vaccination groups to include those who are 80 and older and were born between Sept. 1st and Dec. 31st. They can start booking their appointment as of 7 a.m. on Monday, March 22nd.

People between the ages of 60 and 64 years old can also book their appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine at one of the 25 selected pharmacies. The one Chéticamp isn’t one of them. According to the Department Health and Wellness, the region didn’t presently qualify for a satellite immunization clinic. In a statement, communications director Dan Harrison said, “We asked our partners, Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia and Doctors Nova Scotia, to identify locations in the province that were immediately prepared to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine, with good geographic distribution. Partners had very little time to do this as we needed to use the current vaccine shipment before it’s expiry on April 2.” Chéticamp residents can still get their vaccine at pharmacies in other areas. There are a few in Antigonish, Baddeck and Inverness.

- On Friday, Premier Iain Rankin announced the opening of the New Brunswick border. As of March 20th, New Brunswick residents will no longer have to self-isolate when they come to Nova Scotia, and they won't have to complete the Safe Check-in form. “Dr. Strang made this recommendation based on the very similar epidemiology in both provinces,” the premier explained.