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Appointment slots at mass vaccination sites in Windsor-Essex were quickly filling one day after eligibility expanded to some residents age 40 and older.
“Things are moving quite well,” said health unit CEO Theresa Marentette on Wednesday. “We do have people monitoring that and opening up more availability as we see spots being taken up.”
The health unit expanded eligibility at the region’s six mass vaccination clinics after demand for the jab dropped, leaving appointments unused. Anyone age 40 and older who lives in one of seven hot spot postal codes or who has a medical condition considered “at-risk” can now be inoculated.
On Tuesday morning, nearly 100 openings were still available for the following two days, while on Wednesday, two days of appointments were fully booked and timeslots for a third day were being offered at some locations.
Certain essential workers and those with high and highest-risk medical conditions remain eligible for a shot at a mass vaccination clinic.
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Anyone age 40 and older can seek immunization at select area pharmacies, though few doses — if any — are left. Many of the 57 participating pharmacies are awaiting additional shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In the past, pharmacies have received both the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab and the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, which is the same vaccine made by two different manufacturers.
Vaccination for farm workers at Nature Farm Fresh Recreation Centre continues this week. Although the health unit opened up appointments for the general public at the Leamington location on Monday, they’ve since reserved most time slots into next week for farm employees who live and work in high-risk settings.
Marentette said she expects farm worker vaccination to be complete next week, “knowing that we’re never going to be totally complete.”
“Those that we have offered the vaccine to will have had an opportunity to come to the clinic,” she said.
Local farm workers will still be able to book appointments into the future if they decide to get the jab later on.
Separately, Marentette said the health unit’s beach water quality monitoring program will occur this year. The program, which tests water samples for the presence of E. coli bacteria, was paused last year while the health unit’s resources were wholly tied up in pandemic management.
Wednesday’s local COVID-19 statistics:
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- Total cases: 15,341
- New cases: 49
– 23 close contacts
– 6 community acquired
– 2 outbreak related
– 18 still under investigation - Active cases: 453
- COVID deaths: 414
- Hospitalized cases: 18 (five in ICU)
- Resolved cases: 14,475
- Variant of concern cases: 812
– 732 United Kingdom variant cases
– 2 South African variant cases
– 78 uncategorized variant cases - Workplace outbreaks: 13
– three farms in Leamington
– two construction businesses in Windsor and Tecumseh
– two food and beverage businesses in Windsor and Lakeshore
– three health care and social assistance settings in Windsor
– one manufacturing facility in Windsor
– one repair and maintenance business in Windsor
– one retail business in Windsor - Community outbreaks: 1
– South West Detention Centre (positive cases among one staff member and one inmate) - School outbreaks: 1
– Ecole secondaire catholique l’Essor - Long-term care home outbreaks: 1
-Extendicare Southwood Lakes in Windsor (positive cases among three staff members)
Vaccine appointments filling fast following eligibility expansion in Windsor-Essex - Windsor Star
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