THUNDER BAY — Michael Gravelle is hearing from worried constituents who feel the Ontario government should respond more aggressively to the rising incidence of COVID-19 in Thunder Bay.
The Liberal MPP for Thunder Bay - Superior North said his office has been "inundated" with calls and e-mails from residents.
"My constituents are justifiably concerned about the explosion of cases in the Thunder Bay district, and they desperately want the provincial government to recognize this by designating our community a hot spot," he said.
Under government policy, a region designated as a hot spot is eligible for further supports as well as quicker access to vaccinations.
A representative of Health Minister Christine Elliot told Mayor Bill Mauro last Friday that the government plans to ship additional vaccine to Thunder Bay because of the steep climb in local COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
Gravelle said declaring the city a hot spot will speed up the vaccination process.
"There is no question that we qualify for that designation," he said, noting that "per capita, we have four times the number of COVID-19 cases as the provincial average."
The MPP said he submitted an official request to the government on Monday.
He said he doesn't understand why the city hasn't already been designated a hot spot, given the statistics.
"We've got the highest number of cases per capita in the province. It's important we get recognized as such."
