Toronto’s MTCC immunization clinic closes due to COVID-19 vaccine shortage
Posted January 19, 2021 5:43 pm.
Last Updated January 19, 2021 5:51 pm.
After only one day in operation, the City says it’s immediately shutting down its immunization clinic at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre citing a vaccine shortage.
The “proof-of-concept” clinic was initially scheduled to be open for at least six weeks, seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., but on Monday, officials announced it would close at the end of the week.
That all changed again today.
“Due to further COVID-19 vaccine supply shortages announced by the Government of Canada today, the Province of Ontario has directed the City of Toronto to immediately pause its proof-of-concept Immunization Clinic at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at the conclusion of today’s appointments,” the City said in its release.
“The Province had originally directed the clinic to pause after January 22 due to vaccine supply.”
#BREAKING From six weeks of giving out COVID-19 vaccinations, to five days, and now, the doors are closing immediately. The City of Toronto-run clinic for frontline workers has been ordered to lock the doors for lack of vaccine supply. @680NEWS pic.twitter.com/0GyNon4X0L
— Mark Douglas (@DouglasCityNews) January 19, 2021
The City says those with scheduled appointments for Wednesday through Friday are advised that they are now cancelled.
Toronto fire chief Matthew Pegg said while officials are disappointed with the news, he is confident it will be enough to help guide a ‘COVID-19 playbook’ that will be released to help residents better understand the nuance of getting vaccinated.
“The City’s Immunization Task Force is continuing to plan for city-wide immunization clinic roll-out and will continue to work with the Province to determine next steps once vaccine supply is re-established.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the province will not receive new shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine next week.
Only 171,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive over the next two weeks, instead of the nearly 418,000 previously expected.
