Community groups to organize COVID-19 shots for all adult residents in hot spots
Ontario sets another record for patients with the virus in intensive care
Community groups and large employers will be enlisted to organize COVID-19 vaccine clinics for residents 18 and older in certain “high risk” neighbourhoods, the Ontario government said Tuesday as it defended its immunization plan.
The specifics came days after Premier Doug Ford said all adults in certain priority postal codes would be eligible for a shot — an announcement that went on to spark frustration when residents of those areas couldn’t find specifics.
Ford said mobile teams and pop-up clinics run by faithbased groups, community organizations and large employers will be used to get vaccines to residents of 114 hard-hit areas, starting with specific neighbourhoods in Toronto and Peel Region.
Appointments at those clinics will not be available through the provincial booking portal and the government directed individuals to their local public health unit for details.
The government also said it will ask large employers to fund clinics hosted at their businesses and also offer vaccines to members of the community surrounding their facilities.
Ford denied the hot-spot vaccine plan, with its multiple layers, was confusing.
“For the folks that find it confusing, I have to tell you that 2.8 million people didn’t find it confusing,” he said, referencing the number of people currently booked for a shot. “The 3.3 million that we vaccinated didn’t find it confusing. So, if I’m doing the math right we’re at well over six million people that didn’t find it confusing. Folks, it’s very, very simple.”
Green party Leader Mike Schreiner accused Ford of “gaslighting” people with his claims the process is simple. “Days after the premier finally announced targeted hot-spot vaccinations, people still have no idea how to get a shot,” he said.
Ontario set a record Tuesday for patients with the virus in intensive care units — 626 — and reported 1,822 people in hospital because of COVID-19. It also reported 3,670 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and 15 more deaths.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province continues to explore options to create more capacity in hospitals and find new workers to staff ICUs, including workers from outside of Ontario.