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31 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,July 29,2021 w aterloochronicle.ca Crossword & SudokuAnswers July 26-31, 2021 Weekly Specials Store Made Beef Burgers 12x4 oz. Box Fresh Pork Back Ribs Store Made Regular or Garlic Breakfast Sausage Store Made Smoked Mini Hams 1 kg Each New York Striploin Steaks Store Made Smoked Bacon Bits 6 oz. Tub Store Made "Original Harmony Burger" 1 LB Tubes Store Made Deli Sliced Black Forest Ham Deli Sliced Prosciutto Salami $6.99 lb. Reg. $7.99 lb. NEW Marinated Boneless Tandoori Chicken Thighs 519-699-45903031 Lobsinger Line, HeidelbergMon-Wed 8-6; Thurs-Fri 8-8; Sat 7:30-5 $16.99 lb $17.99 lb $7.99 lb Reg $8.99 lb $4.49 lb Reg $5.49 lb $9.99 lb Reg $10.99 lb $8.99 lb Reg $12.99 lb $4.99 ea Reg $5.99 ea $17.99 box Reg $19.99 box $4.99 ea Reg $5.49 ea $13.99ea Reg $15.99 ea Nine per cent. That's all that's left be- tween us and achieving a COVID-19 vaccination level of 90 per cent, now widely believed to be the optimal level of vaccinations need- ed to achieve herd immuni- ty and draw the pandemic to a close in Waterloo Re- gion. Since being a provincial hot spot only a little more than a month ago, and lag- ging the province on vacci- nation levels, getting to this point -- just under 81 per cent of our population aged 12 and older with one dose and just less than 61 per cent fully vaccinated at the time of this writing -- is little short of Herculean. Every person involved in our vaccine rollout and every person who has rolled up their sleeve de- serves to be commended. But the hardest work, that seemingly negligible nine per cent, still lies ahead. It won't be easy to get there. Proof of that lies in many places, including the recent shuttering of a web- site that had sprung up to inform consumers of busi- nesses that had fully vacci- nated staff. The businesses offered this information voluntari- ly and their employees were voluntarily vaccinat- ed. In essence, it was a busi- ness play, arming consum- ers with information that would help them make a choice in where they spent their money. The site, according to its creator, was designed "to provide a resource for those who had lower risk toler- ances and/or medical con- ditions that made COVID high risk for them." Simple enough, for sure. Perhaps even noble in intent. But less than a week af- ter springing up, the site went dark after its creator received hateful messages. More than that, the busi- nesses featured on the site were subjected to an on- slaught of negative reviews and false bookings, the work of online "trolls" in- tent on derailing the effort. It defies logic. It's not hard to connect the dots between those pro- testing businesses that have advertised fully vacci- nated staff and those who, for many months, attended anti-lockdown rallies and protested public health measures. We were hurting small businesses with pandemic restrictions, they claimed. But today, those same pro- testers are showing no sup- port for small businesses advertising their vaccina- tion status. Further, those who have railed against public health measures during the pandemic are within the same group that has ex- pressed opposition to vac- cines, insisting that their choices be respected. It seems that same re- spect, though, does not get extended to businesses that have chosen to share the vaccination status of their staff. This is the mindset we face in the final nine per cent, some of whom aren't just vaccine-hesitant, they're outright opposed. Maybe their concerns are justified. Maybe the government officials and members of the medical community calling on us to get vacci- nated are colluding in a plot. Maybe the business community advertising the vaccine status of their staff is in on it. What's the plot? It's an effort to get you, and the rest of that remain- ing nine per cent, to take a life-saving vaccine. The script is devoid of drama and the movie is pretty dull but, if you're looking for the synopsis, there it is. Boring for sure. But ef- fective? That's up to you. Columnist Mike Far- well is a broadcaster, MC and advocate. Follow him on Twitter at @far- well_WR, or connect with him via Mike.Far- well@rci.rogers.com. COVID-19: IT'S NOT A TWO-WAY STREET FOR MANY OPINION MIKE FARWELL Column SCAN THIS CODE to see Waterloo Region's latest COVID-19 numbers. A crowd converges on Waterloo Public Square for an anti-lockdown rally last month. Mathew McCarthy