Toronto has identified high-risk hot spots and postal codes where people will now be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine much sooner than expected.
In a day of bad news stay-at-home orders in Toronto, this might be some good news.
Reportedly anyone who lives in a high risk neighbourhood who is 18 years and older will be eligible for a vaccine, according to Isaac Bogoch, an Infectious Diseases physician and scientist with the University of Toronto.
Yesterday the province announced it would be moving into Phase Two of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, with a focus on reaching individuals in “hot spot” communities.
According to the province, high risk areas include parts of Toronto, Durham, Milton, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa, Niagara, Simcoe-Muskoka, Waterloo and Windsor.
In Toronto high priority areas are those with the postal codes starting with: M1B, M1C, M1E, M1G, M1H, M1J, M1K, M1M, M1P, M1R, M1X, M2J, M2M, M2R, M3A, M3C, M3H, M4A, M3J, M3K, M3L, M3M, M3N, M6B, M6L, M9M, M9N, M9P, M4X, M5A, M5B, M5N, M6A, M5V, M6H, M6K, M6N, M8V, M9A, M9B, M9C, M9R, M9V, M9W, M1L, M4H, M1S, M1T, M1V and M1W.
The details of when people will be able to book vaccines isn’t clear, but Bogoch says the vaccine will be brought to communities via mobile teams.
The quick rollout of vaccines is being praised as a smart move, by some.
While others feel like the province is just changing the rules halfway through the vaccine rollout.
I support targeting high risk neighbourhoods, but a perfectly healthy 18 year old getting it before a 45 year with several chronic health conditions doesn’t make sense. It seems like we’re changing the rules part way through the game.— Deep State & Main 🇨🇦 (@main_state) April 7, 2021
As of April 5 over 2,621,000 vaccine doses had been administered across the province, with over 85 per cent of Ontario residents aged 80 and over having received at least one dose, according to the province.
More than two-thirds of residents aged 75 to 79 have now received their first shot. Over 322,000 Ontarians are fully immunized, including 92 per cent of long-term care residents.
As we head into another state of emergency with stay-at-home orders, and more retail closures for at least four weeks, let’s hope we can get the vaccine out as quickly as possible and get back to some type of normal soon.
Article From: BlogTO
