'Heartbroken to see it': Town helps resolve 'unacceptable' lines at Newmarket

'We must make sure Southlake has all the support they need,' mayor says; hospital says it has made improvements, while requesting you arrive no more than 10 minutes before your appointment

Newmarkettoday.ca
March 8, 2021

A blue-clad member of town staff holds open the door for a senior in a wheelchair arriving to get their shot on Friday, March 5.Alan S. Hale/NewmarketToday
With support from the Town of Newmarket, it appears that the "unacceptable" lines and lengthy waits at the local COVID-19 vaccination clinic have been resolved.

Since seniors aged 80 and over began attending the clinic operated by Southlake Regional Health Centre last Monday, a series of issues have sparked widespread public outrage and condemnation from some local politicians.

"To be honest, I was heartbroken to see it," Newmarket Mayor John Taylor posted on social media after visiting the clinic at Ray Twinney Recreation Complex yesterday and observing long lines with seniors waiting outdoors.

There were no outdoor lines at the clinic earlier today, and Town of Newmarket staff wearing blue jackets were on hand to help people get inside, manage traffic and provide wheelchairs.

The Town of Newmarket assigned 12 staff to help out at the clinic, implementing a numbering system and setting up areas for people to sit.

Southlake said it has made improvements "to ensure a better experience for everyone who comes to get vaccinated."

Despite the long waits yesterday, more than 1,000 people were vaccinated, according to the hospital statement.

"We recognize that the pandemic has been tough for seniors and their loved ones, and vaccines are a light at the end of the tunnel," said the hospital in a statement.

Technical problems with the province's COVAX client management system that began yesterday morning caused a backlog of appointments on Thursday,  which resulted in long lines both outside and inside the complex.

Southlake is requesting the public to help prevent lines from forming by not coming more than 10 minutes before their scheduled appointments.

"We want to thank the Town of Newmarket for the extra hands and added support to direct people as they arrive and for helping them navigate through the vaccination centre," stated Southlake.

Taylor, who said he spoke with Southlake CEO Arden Krystal about the situation, said it was "unacceptable" to have seniors waiting in the cold with nowhere to sit.

"I am very sorry. I assure you there will be lessons learned. We must keep the vaccinations moving, and we must make sure Southlake has all the support they need to keep vaccinating," he said on social media.

Taylor criticized the hospital for waiting until "the late morning" before asking for assistance and not moving people inside.

"Southlake CEO Arden Krystal has explained to me that the COVAX booking system went down/slowed down and created the backlog --  amongst other issues. Having said that, a call for assistance should have been issued immediately, and people should have been given information and moved inside. In fact, they should and will be inside from now on."

Senior Ed Friedman, who was at the clinic yesterday to get his shot, lays the blame for the fiasco on Southlake's "incompetence." He waited 2-1/2 hours, while "watching many seniors in walkers fighting to keep warm."

He noted that other clinics in the region did not have the same problems as the one in Newmarket.

"I am totally disgusted with the incompetence of the Southlake hospital and how they handled it four days in a row. I had many friends go to Cortellucci Hospital in Vaughan, and they were all in and out within 25 minutes, while it took me over three hours from the time I stood freezing in line outside until I had my vaccine," he told NewmarketToday.

"Many people left as they could not tolerate the cold and will try to re-book sometime in the future if the vaccine is available," he added.

"I waited outside for over one hour until the rink was open to let us sit indoors. My friend at Cortellucci went directly inside, sat and watched television for five to 10 minutes before their shots, while I stood outside with 400 other people like cattle being herded into a skating rink," Friedman said.

"I am shocked how incompetent the people are who attempted this process. Once we got inside, the people in the vaccination room handled the situation very well and were very nice," he said.