North Bay seniors are on the outside looking in as the Ontario government is extending booking for COVID-19 vaccination appointments to individuals aged 70 and over through its online booking system and call centre in 11 additional public health units starting today.
Two districts that border our own, Timiskaming to our north and Simcoe Muskoka to our south are included.
See how North Bay has lagged behind by comparing health units in Ontario here.
This comes on the heels of an announcement over the weekend that the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has a limited number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments available in North Bay, Britt and Sundridge for adults 75 years of age or older.
See: Limited COVID-19 vaccine appointments open up in North Bay, Britt and Sundridge for adults 75+
Last week the local health unit asked the Province to provide more vaccine.
See: Give us more vaccine, local Health Unit tells Province
Last week, Dr. Jim Chirico, the region's Chief Medical Officer of Health told BayToday, "Earlier the province increased supply to pandemic hot spots in the province. That meant a reduced supply for our region in previous months."
See: Region expecting to start phase two vaccinations in mid April
All individuals aged 70 and over in the following public health units will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at a mass immunization clinic through the provincial online booking system and call centre:
- City of Hamilton Public Health Services;
- Grey Bruce Health Unit;
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health;
- Lambton Public Health;
- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit;
- Niagara Region Public Health;
- Ottawa Public Health;
- Peel Public Health;
- Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit;
- Timiskaming Health Unit
- York Region Public Health.
"Thanks to the careful planning of everyone involved in the vaccine rollout, we are able to extend vaccination appointments to more Ontarians ahead of schedule," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.
As of March 27, 2021, over three-quarters of Ontario residents aged 80 and over have received at least one dose. Over a third of residents aged 75 to 79 have now received their first shot.
"As vaccine supply is delivered across the province and additional public health units begin vaccinating individuals aged 70 and over, vaccine administration rates may differ based on local context," says a news release from the province. "Rollout and timing has been further impacted by the latest delay in shipment of the Moderna vaccine, initially planned for March 30 but now delayed until April 7. For more information on local vaccine rollout, individuals are encouraged to contact their local public health unit.
"As Ontario's immunization program continues to expand, communities across the province are gaining greater levels of protection that will save lives," said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. "We will continue to extend this rollout to other regions as more vaccines become available, and we ask that everyone remains vigilant and continues to follow public health measures.
