As Ontario reopens, Caledon will host “Boosters before bedtime” vaccine clinic February 20

By Rob Paul

As of March 1, the Government of Ontario will no longer require proof of vaccination in any setting and will be lifting capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings.

The Province also moved into Phase Two of reopening on February 17.

“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave we are able to fast track our reopening plan,” said Premier Doug Ford. “This is great news and a sign of just how far we've come together in our fight against the virus. While we aren't out of the woods just yet we are moving in the right direction.”

As of February 17, social gathering limits have increased to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors; capacity limits have been removed from restaurants, bars, sports and recreation facilities, and cinemas; and 50 per cent capacity is allowed at sports arenas and concert venues.

As Ontario reopens, Peel is still striving to hit vaccination milestones and after the success of its two recent “Doses after Dark” vaccine clinics, Peel Public Health has announced another special vaccination clinic for residents of Caledon on February 20.

“Boosters before bedtime” will increase access to vaccines in Caledon, with a focus on residents who are unable to get vaccinated during regular clinic hours—it will operate from 1 p.m. until midnight at the Caledon East Community Complex.

The extended clinic hours and walk-in availability will give residents the flexibility to get vaccinated when it is convenient for them. No appointment is needed, and residents can walk-in to get their first, second or booster dose. 

Youth 12-17 also have the opportunity to get their booster dose. As well, the clinic will provide first and second doses to children five to 11 years old. 

“We recognize that many Peel residents work in jobs where traditional clinic hours don't align with their personal schedules,” said Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Medical Officer of Health. “The Boosters before bedtime vaccine clinic aims to address this by extending hours to make it easier for residents to come by the clinic and get the vaccine of their choice. With our community reopening cautiously, it's critical for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated – that means two doses and a booster. Vaccination continues to remain the cornerstone of protection for our residents against severe outcomes related to COVID-19.”

Vaccine coverage and third booster shots have continued to increase in Peel where 3,225,540 doses have been administered. 1,400,372 individuals have one dose, 1,260,915 have both doses, and 560,737 have received their third dose booster.

The Region now has 80.6 per cent of all residents with two dose coverage and 85.6 per cent with single dose. 91 per cent of those 12 and older are double vaccinated and 93.9 per cent have initiated the vaccination process—85.1 per cent of all eligible residents (5+) have both doses and 90.3 per cent have one.

In Peel, the new weekly COVID-19 cases continue to drop with 1,299 new COVID-19 cases in the last week to bring the total to 172,523. The Region's death count has now risen to 1,178 with 27 new deaths since last week.

Caledon also saw a decrease in new weekly cases with 64 new cases over the last week to bring the Town total to 7,474. There was also one new death this week with the count rising to 27.

To book a vaccine in the Region of Peel, visit www.peelregion.ca/coronavirus/vaccine/book-appointment. To schedule a third dose booster, visit covid19.ontariohealth.ca/. 

To download or print a copy of your proof of vaccination, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccine-booking-support#proof-of-vaccination. To learn more about the official QR code system Ontario has implemented and to access yours, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/get-proof/.