Vaccines delivered in Swift Current after weeks of delays

It took some time, but vaccines have now been rolled out to every area of Saskatchewan.

Doses were delivered to the southwest zone for the first time Thursday. Over the course of Thursday and Friday, health-care workers administered 1,102 vaccine doses in Saskatchewan’s southwest area.

Shirley Ann Friesen owns and operates Willow Creek Manor, a long-term care home in Swift Current — the largest city in the region.

All of her home’s 48 residents and about half of her 32 staff members got their first doses Friday.

After waiting for about two months later than areas like Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert, she’s glad it’s finally done.

“It feels awesome … We’re happy, happy, happy,” she told CJME. “There is a lot of relief, because it has been a long haul.”

While she’s still aware that things aren’t all the way back to normal, she feels like this is a major step.

“Obviously, everybody still has to do protocol with masks and everything, but it’s just nice to have it done. Later, we can just get on with life when hopefully things get better with COVID …,” Friesen said.

“We’re still going to be very careful. It’s just the worry all the time: ‘Oh my goodness, are we going to get it in here?’ It has been a long haul.”