People 18+ in COVID-19 hotspots can book appointments Monday, province says

The province says people aged 18 and over and who live in a COVID-19 hotspot zone will be able to book to get their coronavirus vaccine starting at 8 a.m. Monday.

The Ontario government says an increase in the supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has allowed them to expand booking eligibility.

“With additional supply our government is increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccines in the communities hardest hit by COVID-19,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health in a news release Sunday.

People will be able to book their appointment either through the provincial booking system or through municipal public health units that use their own system.

The vaccines will be administered at mass immunization clinics, the province said.

The government has identified 114 communities as priority areas for vaccines–  and the province says they want to allocate around 50 per cent of vaccines to those areas during the weeks of May 3 and 10.

Eligibility will expand further on Thursday when online bookings open up to residents 50 and older, the province said. Others captured in that expansion include people with high-risk health conditions, those who can’t work from home including teachers and school workers and First Nation, Inuit and Metis people not previously targeted in earlier phases of the immunization drive.

Thursday’s planned expansion to those with high-risk health conditions include those living with obesity, developmental disabilities and treatments requiring immunosuppression among others.

All adults in hot spots have been cleared for immunization for some time, though they could not book through the provincial website. Instead, residents have been getting shots at pop-up and mobile clinics, sometimes standing in line for hours.

Ontario said it will return to per capita distribution for vaccines on the week of May 17.

If supply holds, the province expects to make those 18 and older eligible for a shot at mass sites provincewide on the week of May 24.

Those 18+ living in a hot spot looking to book their #COVID19 vaccine appointment tomorrow in #Ontario can do so at a mass immunization clinic through provincial online booking system or directly through public health units that use their own booking system.

— Maleeha Sheikh (@MaleehaCity) May 2, 2021