‘In this on our own’: Swift Current retirement home owner frustrated by vaccine delay

Even though COVID-19 vaccines have been in Saskatchewan for about six weeks, there are still three regions where not a single dose has been delivered.

That has one long-term care home owner feeling frustrated with the government.

As of Sunday, 35,239 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had been administered in the province, but the southwest, south-central and central-west zones have yet to see any.

A shipment of around 900 doses was scheduled to be delivered to Swift Current on Monday, but it was delayed on short notice Friday. No date has yet been announced for a new shipment.

Shirley Ann Friesen, the owner of Willow Creek Manor in Swift Current, was baffled by the news.

“It is frustrating because a lot of other places have gotten it. It’s disheartening,” she told 980 CJME.

While there has not yet been a case at her facility, that doesn’t stop her from worrying about the possibility of infections among her 50 residents and 33 staff members.

“It has been hard on everybody — families, residents, everybody. We’re just trying to get these shots so we can keep (the virus) from coming in here,” she said.

After waiting weeks longer than other jurisdictions, she was particularly upset to have her hopes dashed.

“When they told us about (the vaccine shipment), it was like, ‘Yeah, let’s get this done. Start throwing the COVID down (and) get these people safe,’ just giving them some piece of mind,” she said.

Now, Friesen just wants speed and clarity from the province.

“I can’t even explain it, being in the situation we have been … It makes us feel like we’re not worthy of much at all, like we’re basically in this on our own,” she said.

“It feels like the government just doesn’t give a s—.”

980 CJME sent an interview request to the Saskatchewan Health Authority for an interview on the subject of vaccine deliveries to zones that have not yet received them, but the SHA declined. Instead, it pointed to an upcoming media conference.

Maple Creek, Kindersley and Rosetown are among the communities in the regions that have not received vaccines, and also have long-term care or retirement homes.