GTA regions ramping up COVID-19 vaccinations this week

680News.com
May 10, 2021

This week is will see more COVID-19 vaccine appointments open up for more individuals across the GTA.

Peel Region says it is aiming to get 150,000 shots into arms this coming week, adding 10,000 appointments for residents 18 years of age and older. Dr. Lawrence Loh, the region’s medical officer of health, says he hopes to administer a first dose to 75 per cent of residents by the end of May.

As of Friday, just over 638,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Peel.

Starting Monday, adults over the age of 40 and those who cannot work from home will be able to start booking vaccine appointments in York Region. Approximately 78,000 appointments will be available.

Halton Region is also opening up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to anyone 16 years of age or older who cannot work from home as well as anyone 50 years of age and older starting on Monday morning. Health officials say anyone aged 40 and older can start booking their appointments on May 12 before lowering the threshold to anyone over the age of 30 by May 14.

It’s hoped that anyone 16 years of age and older, regardless of postal code, will be able to start booking their appointments by May 19. The region has already been accepting appointments for those 40 and up as well as 50 and up who cannot work from home.

In Durham, adults 40 years of age and older will be eligible for a vaccine shot as well as those with at-risk health conditions.

The City of Toronto is adding more than 17,000 new appointments spread across its five City-operated clinics this week following the confirmation of additional vaccine supply. City-operated clinics are hoping to administer approximately 98,000 vaccine doses between May 10 and 16.

The City is also hoping to open up vaccine appointments at its clinics for anyone 40 years of age and older this week, as well as additional frontline workers who cannot work from home. Those with at-risk health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune disorders are also eligible to book appointments at City-run clinics and hospital-run clinics.

Visit toronto.ca/covid19 for more details on if you qualify within one of those groups.

Ontario is expected to lower the age of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 40 across the province this week as it continues to expand its rollout.

The province is also due to begin vaccinating people with health conditions deemed “at risk.”

They include people with heart disease, diabetes, most types of cancer and dementia.

Half of vaccine supply is being diverted to COVID-19 hot spots this week, based on the recommendation of the province’s scientific advisers.

Starting next week, vaccines are set to be distributed per capita once again.

Over the weekend, hundreds of pharmacies in COVID-19 hot spots began offering Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots to people aged 18 and over.

The province of Ontario says it is on track to administer first doses to 65 per cent of adults by the end of May.