Toronto targeting northwest part of city with mass vaccine clinic on Jan. 23
Posted January 12, 2022 12:33 pm.
Last Updated January 12, 2022 6:27 pm.
The City of Toronto is staging another mass vaccination event later this month, targeting the northwest part of the city where current vaccination rates are lower.
“Vax The Northwest” is set to take place January 23 at York University’s Aviva Centre, and Mayor John Tory says the goal is to deliver more than 1,000 first, second, third and kids doses to people of all eligible ages from Northwest Toronto neighbourhoods.
“Northwest Toronto is prioritized to reach neighbourhoods with vaccination rates below the city average of 87 per cent for people 12 and older having received two doses of vaccine,” said Tory. “Team Toronto is working tirelessly to raise vaccination rates across the entire northwest of the city to help blunt the spread of COVID-19 and the very transmissible Omicron variant.”
While some northwest neighbourhoods – including York University Heights – are keeping pace with the rest of the city, Black Creek is three per cent below, Glenfield Jane Heights is seven per cent below and Westminster Branson is 12 per cent below the city average.
Tory says order to further remove barriers to vaccination and encourage people to get the jab, information about the clinic will be distributed in Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Russian while Team Toronto is also reaching out to Black, newcomer and undocumented populations in neighbourhoods close to York University.
Are you ready to rally for #VaxTheNorthwest? On Jan 23, #TeamToronto & partners will be serving 1,000+ #COVID19 vaccines (1st, 2nd, 3rd & children’s doses) in @YorkUniversity Aviva Centre, home of @TennisCanada and venue for Canada’s premier tennis event, the National Bank Open. pic.twitter.com/CoSoAd0wLf
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) January 12, 2022
More information on booking appointments online or by phone for the mass vaccination clinic will be available in the coming days.
Tory says fourth doses are also being administered this week at the City’s 10 directly-operated long-term care homes along with installing additional HEPA filters.
“We’re making good progress with three of our residences almost complete,” said Tory. “The Carefree Lodge has delivered fourth doses to 92 per cent of its residents, the Lakeshore Lodge is at 88 per cent and True Davidson Acres is at 86 per cent.”
Tory adds that in addition to administered fourth dose vaccinations to residents, the City is working to get third doses into the arms of all staff in these homes by the provincial deadline of January 28.
The mayor confirmed that 220 HEPA filters are also on the way from the province, at no cost to the city, to be installed in all LTC homes.
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Chief Matthew Pegg, who is in charge of the City’s Emergency Management team, says the average unplanned absence rate for emergency and essential services was 13.7 per cent on Tuesday – 13.1 per cent specifically for paramedics. However, Pegg noted that 120 ambulances were on the road, which is consistent with pre-pandemic and staffing levels.
Pegg says essential services are being delivered across the City and that EMS services are being directed to high-priority calls while fire services continue to assist by responding to approximately 60 low-priority 911 calls.
