The Ontario government provided an update on the province’s broader vaccination timeline for 2021 at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Chair of the Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force retired General Rick Hillier spoke alongside Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
Hillier said the ongoing first phase of the immunization effort is expected to see around 1.5-million people vaccinated. A release from the province explained vaccination of residents, staff and essential caregivers of long-term care homes has begun in many parts of the province, with the goal of having the first dose administered no later than Feb. 15.
The Ontario government expects to proceed with Phase Two of the immunization program as early as March. Some 8.5-million people will be eligible during that phase of the rollout, which is expected to be completed by the end of July.
“In preparation for Phase Two of the vaccination distribution plan, more vaccination sites will be added. Over the coming months, those sites will include municipally run vaccination sites, hospital sites, mobile vaccination sites, pharmacies, clinics, primary care settings and community locations such as community health centres and aboriginal health access centres,” a statement from the province explained.”
A government release noted older adults, individuals living and working in high-risk congregate settings, individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers and frontline essential workers (such as first responders, teachers and those in the food processing industry) will be eligible to receive vaccines during Phase Two.
The third and final phase for the general population could begin as early as August 2021.
You can listen to Retired General Rick Hillier’s entire statement from Queen’s Park below.
