Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Chief Public Health Officer and her staff has paid off when one looks at the low number of cases, with no confirmed deaths in the Northwest Territories. Compared to the rest of Canada, the NWT appears to be moving along quickly with the rollout of the vaccine, which has resulted in the NWT receiving 19,100 doses with another 16,200 expected shortly. To date, approximately 14,600 first doses and 2,000 second doses have been administered in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, the World Health Organization, in an interim guidance communication dated January 25, 2021, stated that, 14 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, the efficacy is said to be 91.9 percent; after receiving the second dose, based on a two-month follow-up, it is said that an efficacy of 94.1 percent has been established. The World Health Organization and the Centre for Disease Control recommends that the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. The stated time for this second dose was to be 28 days after receiving the first dose. Recently, that number, that 28-day number, has been pushed out as far as 42 days.

Mr. Speaker, this government has to rely on the supplier for the vaccine and, as such, has no control when delivery will be made. When we know we are to receive the vaccine from the supplier, I would expect that a decision is made to either use it all up as a first dose or possibly hold some back to administer as a second dose when a delay becomes a reality. The delay in receiving additional supply has created anxiety among residents who were expecting a second dose of the vaccine on day 28.

Mr. Speaker, because of this delay, constituents in Hay River have been asking why the second dose was delayed and if this delay will have an impact on the efficacy of the vaccine, questions I will have for the Minister of health later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.