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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2014-01-15, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 15, 2014 INAD CLOSED Wintry blast brought out the best in county staff Paul Cluff Goderich Signal Star It was welcome relief when tem- peratures rose to well above the freezing mark last weekend and helped melt some of the deep banks of snow, remnants of one of the worst storms to ever hit Huron County. When the blizzard finished the cold and wind continued. Despite closed roads, county public works director Dave Laurie drove around the county to assess conditions. Deep snowbanks, as high as 12 feet in one area, caused trouble because the wind blew snow right back onto the roads. "We have every piece of equip- ment out there trying to keep up," Laurie said last week. The county fleet was in full use. Eighteen plows were on the roads, as well as graders, loaders and snow blowers. County road crews work in two shifts and generally start at 4 a.m. and work until 11 p.m., but started earlier and worked later, leaving a short win- dow overnight when plows were parked. "They (worked) more hours but they are a dedicated group and always willing to meet the demand," Laurie said. Depending on the time of day, there were 50 to 60 employees cleaning up county roads. Roads in and out of Goderich were closed the middle of last week and roads north of Goderich were closed until early Friday. Laurie estimated there were more than 100 vehicles in ditches due to the conditions. County CAO Brenda Orchard was impressed with the dedication of the county's plow drivers. "They see it as a challenge. It is their way to give back to their community. They are keeping their families and their neighbours safe:' A number of them stayed at county depot centres, which are stocked with food for such occa- sions, because they couldn't get home due to the conditions. Not that they want to go home, Orchard noted. "It's like telling a hockey player to go home mid - game. They take a break and they are back at it" Orchard praised the work of staff at county nursing homes, where double and triple shifts were the norm because staff couldn't get to work A retired RN even offered to help out, she said. Paramedics faced weather-re- lated challenges, as well, including helping to deliver a baby in an ambulance in the VVingham area. "We got there a few minutes before the midwife," said deputy chiefJeff Horseman. First responders also helped transport a patient in criti- cal care from Goderich to London and transported a woman in labour from Wingham to Listowel. Huron OPP Const. Jamie Stanley said there were collisions on county roads and vehicles that went off road had to be abandoned because they were stuck in drifts. After the weather subsided, the cleanup of heavy drifts and ensur- ing stuck vehicles were removed kept the roads closed. Schools were shutdown board - wide and local businesses were slower. The cleanup went well into last week. "It was nice to see people pulling together and doing it with spirit," said Orchard. "It brings people together OFFICE HOURS The Office Hours for The Seaforth Huron Expositor is as follows Mondays - 9am - 5pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 5pm Thursdays - 9am - 5pm Fridays - 9am - 5pm Seaforth liffr011 Expositor I 8 Main Street, Seaforth ON PH: 519-527-0240 www. seaforthhuronexpositor .com Pharmacies giving out hundreds of thousands of flu shots Jonathan Sher QM! Agency Ontarians are flocking to pharmacies for flu shots in huge numbers, voting for convenience after the province relaxed its rules about who can give the vaccinations. Pharmacists have injected 650,000 people with the flu vaccine and may reach 1 million before the winter ends, QMI has learned. That huge spike comes just a year after Ontario opened the door to flu shots from pharmacists, many of which have extended hours and are even found in grocery stores. "They like the convenience," said Dennis Darby, chief executive officer of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. That convenience seems to be driv- ing up the number of Ontarians rolling down their sleeves. As of last week, the Health Ministry had given out 300,000 more doses to pharmacies, doctors and clinics than it had last year at this time. "That was the whole thinking about it," Health Minister Deb Matthews said. "The more accessible it is, the more people who will get the shot." Pharmacists are being paid $7.50 a shot by the government — almost $5 million so far — but that's small com- pared to the savings that result from less illness, Matthews said. "The flu season puts a real burden on our health care system," she said. It means less less death and suffering from a disease some compare to being hit by a freight train. Other benefits: Fewer people plugging hospital ERs or needing long, intense treatment. Fewer workplace absences, greater productivity. This is the 14th year Ontario has used tax dollars so citizens can get a free flu shot, but until last year most had to go to their doctor's office or to a public health clinic. It wasn't until late 2012 that the Health Ministry allowed pharmacists to give the shots to anyone five years and older. 600 pharmacies took part and administered 250,000 free doses. This year, 2,000 pharmacies have given out 650,000 shots already, and with the flu season on the rise, Darby expects it may reach 1 million. Those who haven't had a shot yet should do so, he said, since this year's vaccine includes the strain dominant this winter in Canada, H1N1, the same strain that caused a global pandemic in 2009. Pharmacists are also asking the prov- ince to allow them to administer other types of shots too, including travel vac- cines, a request that could benefit from the success of the flu program. "Do I think pharmacists can do more? Yes, I do," Matthews said. Many Ontarians don't see their doc- tors often and don't want to make a special trip to a clinic, but a pharmacy is often just around the corner, she said. "They're highly -trained and located throughout the community," she said. BY THE NUMBERS 650,000: Shots given by pharma- cists so far this flu season 250,000: Shots given by phar- macists to same point last sea- son, the first year they could 300,000: Increase in shots this season given to pharmacists, doctors and clinics ED SULLIVAN "Caravan of Stars" JERRY LEE LEWIS RITCHIE VALENS BUDDY HOLLY ED SULLIVAN by Jeff Brown "IT'S A REALLY BIG MOM" SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 @ 3:00 P.M. 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