Frustration in Ontario over lack of spots for 2nd COVID-19 shots as Delta takes hold
Residents in several of Ontario's COVID-19 hot spots expressed frustration Monday at their inability to book vaccinations close to home amid a crush of demand after the province accelerated second doses in areas where the Delta variant is spreading.
Based on scientific evidence that people with one vaccine dose are less protected against the variant, the province had said individuals in seven regions who got first doses on or before May 9 could book a second shot starting Monday. Spots, however, were quickly filled.
One resident of Mississauga, Ont., said he would have to drive more than 100 kilometres to Simcoe, Ont., to get a second dose, initially scheduled for August, after finding nothing nearby.
"It's not ideal but it's what was available so I booked it because I really want to get the second shot and two weeks after that finally feeling fully protected," Rodrigo Cokting said.
Another Mississauga resident, Mike Morden, 45, said he waited on the provincial website for 90 minutes to reserve his second dose only to end up booking a spot in Toronto by phone.
"It took a lot of effort," Morden said.
Residents in other Delta hot spots also discovered they would have to travel for a shot. One Twitter user in Toronto complained of waiting 90 minutes only to find an available appointment more than an hour's drive away in Alliston.
In York Region, Susan Farina took to social media to complain she was able to select an appointment but, after a 30-minute wait, was told the slot was no longer available.
"The booking websites are seriously deficient," Farina said.
Health authorities in Peel Region, hit by the more contagious Delta variant, confirmed clinics were fully booked but said more appointments would be offered throughout the week. The health unit encouraged residents to check back later.
"We're grateful that so many of our residents are stepping up to get their second dose to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community," it said in a statement.
Similarly, York Region said its second-dose spots were filled by 9 a.m. and asked for patience.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said appointment shortages were typical in places where vaccine eligibility has been expanded. She said millions of doses were on the way.
"We're just asking people to be patient," Elliott said. "If they try later on in the day, they generally find that spots are available."
On Monday, the province reported 447 new cases of COVID-19 and four more related deaths. Peel, along with Toronto, Waterloo, the Timmins area and Durham Region, remained the most affected areas. While the Health Ministry said 384 people were in hospital with coronavirus disease, more than 10 per cent of hospitals did not submit data over the weekend.
Dr. David Williams, the province's top medical health officer, said the rapidly spreading Delta variant was becoming the dominant strain in Ontario and hospital stays were getting longer. At the same time, he expressed optimism that overall case numbers and hospital admissions continued downward trends.
"The numbers are coming down," Williams said. "We're making impacts."
Also on Monday, five remote Indigenous communities on James Bay said they were facing a deepening pandemic crisis exacerbated by poor infrastructure and overcrowding due to housing shortages. The communities said 283 cases of COVID 19 were active.
In Kashechewan First Nation on the Albany River, an 1800-strong community, 222 people -- more than half under age 18 -- had tested positive as of Sunday. Six members have been airlifted to hospitals in southern Ontario, while the small nursing station has been overrun.
"Nowhere in Canada is the COVID-19 situation bleaker than it is in Kashechewan," Chief Leo Friday said in a statement.
The community has put itself in a complete lockdown, meaning families that depend on hunting and fishing now must rely on costly grocery deliveries instead, Friday said.
In response, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said the federal government was working to address the urgent needs. Among other things, Miller said six nurses and more protective gear had been sent to Kashechewan, as had 15 Canadian Rangers.
"We are continually assessing the situation in Kashechewan and providing additional supports as needed," Miller said.
Elliott also said the province was working to ensure people in remote areas get the supports they need.
Meanwhile, in more signs of easing pandemic restrictions, people will be able to enter Ontario by land or water from other provinces as of Wednesday but will have to follow public health measures. Interprovincial travel across Ontario's borders has been restricted since April 19.
Ontario also said Monday that professional and elite amateur leagues, including the Blue Jays and Raptors, will be able to hold non-contact practice and dry-land training in the province. Games were expected to resume as soon as August, although there was no plan yet to allow spectators.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer filled with relief and grief following acquittal in death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.