Hamilton added to list of delta hot spots as province bumps up appointments for 2nd shots
CBC News | Posted: June 17, 2021 6:04 PM | Last Updated: June 17, 2021
Ontario says all adults will be eligible to sign up to be fully-vaccinated by June 28
Hamilton has been added to the province's list of hot spots for the delta variant of COVID-19.
The city was named to the list on Thursday, along with Durham Region and Simcoe Muskoka.
Provincial officials also announced plans to move up appointments for second vaccine doses in the coming weeks, and that by June 28, all adults will be eligible to sign up to be fully vaccinated.
Starting Monday at 8 a.m., any Ontarian who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer of Moderna) on or before May 9 can book or re-book a second shot.
Being named a hot spot for the variant means Hamilton residents who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine as of May 30 can book a second dose with a shorter wait as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the province says.
At that time, the full list of delta hot spots will include:
- Toronto.
- Peel Region.
- York Region.
- Waterloo Region.
- Porcupine.
- Halton Region.
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.
- Durham Region.
- Hamilton.
- Simcoe Muskoka.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones pointed to increased supply of Moderna and the "steady" supply of Pfizer as the reason the province is able to speed up its second dose appointments and "target hot spots."
"With every vaccine administered, we are making meaningful progress in our collective efforts to protect our loved ones and keep communities safe," she said in a media release.
The delta variant, which was first identified in India and is otherwise known as B.1.617.2, is believed to more transmissible than previous strains.
Notably, accelerated availability of appointments in delta hot spots was not accompanied by an increased share of vaccine supply, contrary to Ontario's earlier hot spot strategy during the height of the third wave of the pandemic.
Declining 7-day average
Hamilton reported 11 new cases of the virus on Thursday and no new deaths.
The city currently has a seven-day average of 20 new cases and the reproductive rate is 0.70.
Statistics on the city's webpage show it has logged 21,077 cases so far during the pandemic. Of those, just over 95 per cent are resolved and 170 are active.
To date, 396 people who tested positive for the virus have died.
Nine outbreaks are ongoing.