Community News Update - April 19, 2024
Community News Update - February 24, 2021
Dear Community,
It’s been announced today that Ontario will have an online portal and a telephone system for booking vaccinations, set to launch on March 15, with shots beginning to be administered the following week.
Frustratingly, it is likely going to be months until many people can get their shots.
As it stands, here is the current target set of timelines for vaccine bookings:
- Over 75 -> April 15
- Over 70 -> May 1
- Over 65 -> June 1
- Over 60 -> July 1
For more information on the plan, click here.
There is currently not a date set for vaccinations for people under the age of 60, and it should also be noted that this timeline could change in the coming weeks. From now, until the beginning of the shots for the over 80 cohort, the focus will be on getting health care workers, essential caregivers, long-term residents, and other priority target groups the vaccine.
This rollout plan is anything but a slam dunk at this point, with Ontario currently seventh out of the provinces for per capita population vaccinated. And while Ford’s advisor Rick Hillier, claimed that Ontario is averaging 16,000-18,000 vaccine doses a day, Ontario’s own data shows that we’re actually averaging around 10,000.
Clearly, there is a lot more work to be done here – and as the Official Opposition, the Ontario NDP will be working diligently to ensure that we continue to bring forward positive policy proposals that, if implemented, will help support the people of Ontario.
Ontario has reported another 1054 cases of COVID-19, with 363 of those cases here in Toronto. Following a rapid decrease in daily new cases from the one-day peak of 4249, we now seem to have levelled off around 1000 cases per day across the province.
As we see the number of new cases levelling off, and as vaccines begin to be distributed, it is incredibly important that we all ensure that we are continuing to take the necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Despite the progress that is being made, we must remember that our actions now can still save lives in our communities.
So as always, I want to send a reminder that we need to be wearing our masks, washing our hands, maintaining our distance, and only leaving our homes for essential purposes.
Before I sign off today, I want to send a big shoutout to the team at the York Eglinton BIA, who have partnered with the Black Business Professional Association to launch the Black Business Emergency Relief Grant. This grant is targeted at supporting Black-owned businesses along Eglinton West in Little Jamaica.
I want to thank everyone who has worked to put this together, and if you’re interested in applying, you can find more information here.
In Solidarity,
Jill Andrew
Toronto—St. Paul's
