North Bay city council is calling on the federal government to supply more COVID-19 vaccines.
A motion was unanimously passed at Tuesday’s meeting to formally send a letter to federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota requesting that Canada make all efforts to be in the top 5 percent in per-capita vaccinations by August 1.
The motion was drafted by Coun. Mac Bain, who noted Canada’s vaccination numbers went from 21 percent to 34 percent from the time he drafted the motion to when it was tabled.
“This is not a resolution to place blame, I just want the government to do better,” Bain said, suggesting the federal government stop being “nice people” in getting vaccine supply.
Coun. Mark King took a firmer stance in the discussion, saying the federal government has created a “crisis” in its vaccine rollout, stating it has fallen behind other developed countries.
“I am absolutely appalled by the circumstances created by what I’d call negligence on the part of the government,” King said, adding the motion will “fall on deaf ears”.
According to the website Our World in Data, Canada ranks 26th among world territories with 34 percent of its population having at least one dose of a vaccine.
The United Kingdom ranks 16th at 50.95 percent with the United States ranking 19th at 44.1 percent. Germany, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Norway, France and Belgium all have lower vaccination rates than Canada.
