Vaccine-eager Torontonians as young as 18 wait in massive lineup at Downsview Arena
Posted May 6, 2021 4:04 pm.
There are two thousand vaccine doses all gone at Downsview Arena after the lineup went literally around the block, well over a kilometre long.
This comes on the heels of the arena being one of several pop-up vaccination clinics held across Toronto on Thursday for residents 18 and older who live or work in various designated hotspots.
At one point, the line went from the street behind the arena, up the east side, past the front doors, west along Wilson Avenue, back south along that first curving street and back up the west side again, back to the front door.
The vaccination clinic at Downsview Arena was opened up wide today for 18+ year olds in 53 Toronto hot-spot postal codes. Time lapse video shows the INCREDIBLY long line going from behind the arena, across the front, around the block, and back up to the front doors. @680NEWS pic.twitter.com/Yhwo5gHBzy
— Mark Douglas (@DouglasCityNews) May 6, 2021
Everyone in line got a sticker patch on their sleeve.
In contrast, Humber River Hospital had less of a line this morning, so administrators opened it to 53 Toronto hot spot postal codes, for people as young as 18 years old.
There were a lot of college and university students present today, with one saying she’s hopeful this means she can actually get a job this summer.
In anticipation of new demand, the city announced Thursday it was making an additional 60,000 appointments available at its mass vaccination clinics.
Appointments will be from June 7 to 13, based on anticipated vaccine supply and opened up to the public Thursday morning through Toronto’s vaccine-booking website.
As of Wednesday evening, the city says approximately 591,299 people have booked COVID-19 vaccination appointments at a city-run clinic.
Toronto residents 40 years of age and older can book vaccination appointments at participating pharmacies to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Anyone age 18 or older living in one of the 13 hot spot areas, can get vaccinated at community mobile or pop-up clinics.
