With vaccine still in short supply, the province has issued new directives for prioritizing which healthcare workers get inoculated.
Health care workers are now classified as highest, very high, high and medium priority within the category.
“There is some clear direction on how to sequence this very large and vibrant first group of workers,” said Shirley Hilton, who heads the region’s vaccine task force, noting the amendments provide explicit instruction on how to distribute limited supplies.
The province also changed the classification of adults over the age of 80, moving them into the primary phase of vaccination from the secondary tier where they were initially placed continuing first-dose vaccination of all remaining eligible long-term care, high risk retirement home staff and essential caregivers, as well as “highest priority” frontline healthcare workers, as well as medical first responders such as paramedics and firefighters.
To date, the region has administered more than 26,000 doses of vaccine. Almost 13,000 people have received the second shot to be fully immunized.
Hilton noted mobile clinics will continue providing dosage to long-term care and retirement home staff as well as essential caregivers.
The region will be providing updates about the public’s eligibility for vaccination groups as supplies and new directives come into effect. In the meantime, Hilton stressed the need to continue to observe all precautions.
“Members of the public are asked to continue to follow public health guidelines to help reduce the risk of virus spreading in the community.”
Last week also saw neighbouring Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph open its COVID-19 hub vaccination clinic at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex.
“Staff from the county, Township of Centre Wellington and public health are working around the clock as a single team to provide a safe central location for this important initiative,” said Mayor Kelly Linton in a statement.
The new centre will start with a dosage capacity of 500 a day escalating to 5,000 a day once supply increases. To date, WDG has completed more than 5,000 vaccinations and administered some 12,000 total doses.
