The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: July 15
CBC News | Posted: July 15, 2021 8:00 AM | Last Updated: July 15, 2021
Vaccine campaigns are shifting to target those still unvaccinated
Highlights:
- The focus of vaccine campaigns has shifted.
- Ontario has set vaccine thresholds for moving beyond Step 3 of its reopening plan.
- Reaction continues to follow Quebec's vaccine passport proposal.
- There have been more changes in several eastern Ontario health units.
Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings you this roundup of COVID-19 vaccination developments throughout the region. You can find more information through links at the bottom of the page.
There have been more than 2.7 million doses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has about 2.3 million residents.
That adds up to more than 240,000 doses in the past week, many more second doses than first doses.
Provincial picture
Ontario has shifted the focus of its vaccine campaign from mass clinics to primary care settings in the coming weeks to try to target people who are open to getting a shot, but haven't.
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That province has more than enough people vaccinated to qualify for its move to Step 3 of its reopening plan Friday.
Ontario's next vaccination thresholds past Step 3 are 80 per cent of eligible residents (12 and older) with at least one vaccine dose, 75 per cent fully vaccinated, and no health unit with less than 70 per cent fully vaccinated.
Nearly 80 per cent of Ontario's eligible residents have received their first dose, and about 55 per cent are fully vaccinated. That breakdown is shared below for local health units (when available).
Quebec continues to say it may use targeted vaccine passports for non-essential services as early as September.
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Ontario's health minister said it won't have a similar provincial vaccine passport. Some sectors are making that move.
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Quebecers who previously had COVID-19, and received the first dose of the vaccine, can get their second shot, especially if they're planning to travel.
More than 72 per cent of Quebec residents have had at least one dose.
Nationally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has no plans to open its borders to unvaccinated tourists in the foreseeable future. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said her team is talking to provinces about how to limit the risk of COVID-19 spreading among children who can't yet receive a vaccine.
Ottawa
There are many more drop-in options for people without a first dose. The city's standby list for first and second doses also now requires people to sign up once a week, instead of daily.
It said it wants people who had second dose appointments as late as November to get that shot this month.
Anthony Di Monte, who runs the local vaccine task force, said Wednesday the city is looking at ways to cautiously scale back on hours or locations as demand for the vaccine starts to drop, which was expected as part of the evolution of the rollout.
He said that would be done without creating barriers for those who still need to get a shot.
More than 1.2 million doses have now been given to Ottawa residents. That includes about 525,000 second doses.
Seventy-one per cent of the city's total population of about 1,050,000 has had at least one dose, including 82 per cent of eligible residents 12 and older.
Half of the total population is fully vaccinated, as have 57 per cent of eligible residents.
By age group:
- More than half of residents in their 40s are fully vaccinated.
- More than two-thirds of residents in their 50s are fully vaccinated.
- More than three-quarters of residents in their 60s are fully vaccinated
- Residents between 18 and 39 have not reached 75 per cent coverage with at least one shot.
Western Quebec
The Outaouais has distributed more than 430,000 doses — combined first and second — among a population of about 386,000.
Health authority CISSSO said Wednesday more than two-thirds of residents had at least one vaccine dose and about 40 per cent are fully vaccinated.
That doesn't count residents who may have been vaccinated in Ontario.
Hastings Prince Edward
The health unit has told residents to rebook to a much earlier date if their second dose appointment is still weeks away.
There's an afternoon walk-in clinic for first and second doses at Belleville's Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre in the next few days.
More than 195,000 doses have been administered to this area's residents, including more than 78,000 second doses. Another 5,100 or so doses have been given at CFB Trenton.
Seventy-nine per cent of the eligible local population has now had a first dose. Fifty-two per cent are fully vaccinated.
Eastern Ontario Health Unit
More than 225,000 vaccine doses have been administered among a population of about 209,000.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis told reporters Monday about 77 per cent of its eligible residents had at least one dose and about 43 per cent were fully vaccinated.
He also said local vaccine supply is plentiful and the unit is trying to make it as easy as possible to get a second dose in the coming days.
It regularly posts walk-up and standby clinics on Twitter.
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Renfrew County
Residents 65 and over can now get a first or second dose without an appointment at certain clinics. Younger residents can walk in for a first dose only.
The health unit is holding a special AstraZeneca second dose clinic in the the town of Renfrew next week.
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With a population of about 109,000, Renfrew County had distributed more than 119,000 doses as of July 11.
More than 73 per cent of its eligible population had at least a first dose and more than half are fully vaccinated.
Between 50 and 60 per cent of those in each age group 18 to 40 had the first dose.
Each age group starting with those 55 to 59 had more than 75 per cent with at least one dose.
Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington
The region, with a population of about 213,000, has given about 255,000 vaccine doses — combined first and second — to residents, including about 107,000 second doses.
The health unit has now given a first dose to about 80 per cent of its eligible population 12 and older, and about 57 per cent of eligible people have been fully vaccinated.
There are regular walk-in vaccine times in Kingston and Napanee.
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Leeds, Grenville and Lanark
More than 132,000 of the region's 173,000 residents have received at least one dose, and more than 86,000 are fully vaccinated.
The health unit said Tuesday 86 per cent of eligible residents have at least one dose, and 56 per cent of them have both. There is a steady supply of vaccines and the unit is posting walk-up vaccine locations on Twitter.
Every age group starting with residents in their 30s has passed 80 per cent with one dose, in addition to being at least 40 per cent fully vaccinated.
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