FirstOntario Centre and Rosedale Arena to become large-scale vaccination clinics

The FirstOntario Centre and Rosedale Arena are becoming Hamilton's newest vaccine clinics.

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, said they would be "large-scale" clinics.

She said more details about when the clinics will open and the hours of operation will be released in the coming days.

"It's only the tip of the iceberg, I'm happy to say, in terms of what is going to come. If you look at our overall plan up on our website and look at what we have to roll out over the coming weeks, it will ultimately involve additional sites," she said.

The FirstOntario Centre was previously used as a shelter for men experiencing homelessness in the city.

Ontario launching COVID-19 vaccine booking tool

Richardson said Ontario is also launching its vaccination booking tool on Monday, March 15, which she thinks will perform better than the local booking tool.

"This is something we've been very much waiting for," she said. "We know how frustrating it has been for people in terms of working with the booking system we have rolled out thus far."

The city is currently vaccinating the highest priority health-care workers, shelter workers and clients and people aged 85 or older. 

The next group to be vaccinated will be adults aged 80 or older, staff and residents in retirement homes and other congregate care settings, more health-care workers considered high priority, Indigenous adults, and those receiving chronic home care. 

The schedule, as dictated by the Ministry of Health, is as follows:

• People aged 80 and older: third week in March.
• Aged 75 or older: April 15.
• 70 or older: May 1.
• 65 and older: June 1.
• 60 and older: July 1.

As of the end of day March 7, a total of 46,342 vaccines had been administered — 12,458 at mobile clinics, 30,948 at the fixed clinic at Hamilton Health Sciences, and 2,936 at St. Joseph's Healthcare Clinic.