Ontario's expanding eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination.
Citing "a stable and reliable increase in vaccine supply to Ontario", the government says "Group Two" of people who can't work from home and individuals with "at-risk" health conditions can start booking a vaccine appointment, further expanding Thursday, to include individuals as young as 40 in non-hotspot communities.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts has confirmed it's following the provincial government timeline, now booking appointments for "Group Two" essential workers, which it notes includes essential and critical retail workers - including grocery, pharmacy, restaurant, LCBO, food bank, ServiceOntario, and Service Canada workers - as well as: workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at a heightened risk of COVID-19 spread or outbreak; social workers and social services staff who provide in-person client services; courts and justice system workers; warehousing, distribution, and transportation workers, including public transit and taxi drivers, as well as highway and rail maintenance; electricity workers; communications infrastructure workers; water and wastewater management workers; financial services workers, including bank branch staff; veterinarians and veterinary teams; waste management workers; natural gas, propane, and oil and petroleum workers, including those involved in retail sale of fuel; mine workers; and uranium processing workers.
It's also booking appointments for those with at-risk conditions including immune deficiencies and autoimmune disorders, stroke and cerebrovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, liver disease, cancers, respiratory diseases including asthma and bronchitis, heart disease, substance use disorders, sickle cell disease, diagnosed mental disorder, disabilities requiring direct support care in the community, and other conditions.
North Algoma's clinics do not follow the same timeline, and organizers have yet to announce plans to expand to such a wide group.