City of Toronto to add 375,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments in July

As Ontario accelerates its second-dose COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults on Monday, the City of Toronto announced it will be adding 375,000 vaccination appointments for July to the provincial booking portal.

Mayor John Tory said as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, 125,000 appointments will be added for each of the weeks of July 5, July 12 and July 19.

“We’re making great progress in the vaccination effort and I firmly believe that it will help protect our city as we move into [Step 2] on Wednesday when literally hundreds of businesses will be able to open their doors,” Tory said on Monday.

“I want as many people as possible fully vaccinated over the next two weeks, so we are prepared as best we can be to move into Step 3 of the reopening.”

The Region of Peel is also adding 290,000 additional appointments throughout July which will be available as of 8 a.m. Tuesday. In a tweet, Peel Region cautioned that delays in booking are possible due to high demand.

290,000 appointments will be available tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. through the provincial booking system!

We know you’re eager to get your second dose ????

Remember, with many people trying to book tomorrow, you may experience a delay due to volume. Thank you for your patience!

— Peel Region (@regionofpeel) June 28, 2021

As of Monday, Ontarians aged 18 and over who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine are eligible to book a second-dose appointment. On Saturday, youth aged 12 to 17 who live in a Delta hot spot (Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Porcupine, Simcoe-Muskoka, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units) were able to book a second dose.

On Sunday, the City set a new North American single-day record by administering 26,771 doses at ‘Vaccine Day’ — a mass vaccination clinic that was held at Scotiabank Arena.

According to the latest provincial data, more than 77 per cent of Ontario adults have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 35 per cent are fully vaccinated. In Toronto, more than 35 per cent of adults are already fully vaccinated.

Ontario will enter Step 2 of the province’s three-step COVID-19 reopening plan on June 30. Personal care services like salons will be able to re-open, and capacity limits for retail stores and patios will be expanded. As well, outdoor gatherings will increase to 25 people while indoor gatherings will be permitted with up to five people.