Weekend pop-up clinic will offer first and second doses

thestar.com
July 9, 2021
Brock Weir

A second pop-up vaccination clinic is set for the Aurora Community Centre this weekend.

Led by the Ministry of Health, this pop-up will run Saturday, July 10 through Monday, July 12, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., with first and second doses available for individuals 12 years of age and older who live, work or go to school in York Region.

Second doses will be offered to individuals aged 12 and up following a 28-day interval between their first and second doses.

Spots for the weekend pop-up can be booked online at York.ca/COVID19vaccine.

This is the second pop-up vaccination clinic to be held at the Aurora Community Centre. The first one, which was held the last weekend in May almost exclusively for first doses of Pfizer attracted 1,515 individuals, including 839 youth between the ages of 12 and 17.

The Aurora pop-up will come at the end of a busy week for York Region’s vaccination efforts.

On Monday, 25,000 first- and second-dose appointments were made available and, at press time, a further 33,000 slots were expected to become available as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7.

“We continue to make tremendous progress as we continue our vaccination efforts across the Region,” said Dr. Kurji on Monday. “Nearly 80 per cent of York Region’s residents aged 12 and over have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 45 per cent have received both doses. We thank everyone who has made it a priority to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the greater community by getting vaccinated.

“Offering the protection of the vaccine [to residents] 12 and older is a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19 and, as of today (Monday), individuals 12 to 17 can book a second dose appointment or an earlier second dose appointment at any of York Region’s vaccination clinics. York Region will be administering Moderna for all first and second dose appointments booked by individuals aged 18+ through to at least Sunday, July 18, 2021. Individuals aged 12 to 17 remain exempt from this change and will be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are over 90 per cent effective at preventing serious illness and death due to COVID-19.

“The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) considers these mRNA vaccines to be interchangeable if the same product is not readily available. The Ministry of Health encourages all people living in Ontario to get the second dose as soon as possible due to the recent increased circulation of the Delta variant throughout the Province. If the vaccine you received for your first dose is not available at your second dose appointment, it is recommended you receive the mRNA vaccine that is available rather than delaying your second dose.”

STEPPING INTO STEP 2

The community continues to get into the swing of things as Ontario settles into Stage 2 of the Province’s Roadmap to reopening Ontario.

The latest step in the re-opening took effect Wednesday, June 30.

“I feel we are finally getting to a place where we can get back to a more normal sense of life for our residents and businesses,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas in a statement. “Everyone has struggled through this pandemic, but I am pleased that the Premier has moved Ontario into Step 2 earlier. Over 30 per cent of Ontario’s population are fully vaccinated, which is impressive, and while we still need to be cautious and follow public health guidelines, we are starting to see the light in the darkness. This is a time to celebrate. We have all worked so hard to get here and have sacrificed so much. I hope you all continue to support our local businesses, enjoy the nice weather, and spend some time with your loved ones reconnecting.”

Locally, the Aurora Public Library re-opened on Monday with capacity limits for computer access, printing, and individual study tables. Browsing the collection is not yet permitted and, as such, the holds pickup window service will continue.

Outdoor fitness programs at the Club Aurora fitness centre are being provided once again, games and sports leagues are allowed to return to municipal fields, and Aurora’s Patio Expansion Program (aurora.ca/businesssupport) continues to be available.

LOCAL STATS

As of Tuesday, July 6, Aurora continues to deal with a single active case of COVID-19.

Between Tuesday, June 29 and Tuesday, July 6, just 1 new case in Aurora was reported by York Region Public Health.

Since the start of the pandemic, the community has seen 1,842 total cases of COVID-19, 1,793 of which are now marked as recovered. There have been 48 deaths attributed to the virus.

750 of the total cases have been linked to variants of concern.

The 1 remaining active case is attributed to local transmission, close contact, or unknown exposure.