TORONTO -- More than 2,500 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered at a pop-up clinic held at city hall Sunday.
The clinic, which was hosted by the University Health Network, began at 10 a.m. and was open to all Toronto residents 12 years of age and older.
“I think it probably would be the first of its kind here in the rotunda at city hall,” Mayor John Tory told reporters on Sunday morning.
“I think there is nothing more symbolic and substantive than to have in the place that people are so familiar with in our city… the place where they come for celebrations and for vigils and for protests, that they can come here and get vaccinated.”
The clinic was open to Torontonians in all postal codes, but priority will be given to those who live in hot spots.
A protest was held outside the clinic in Nathan Phillips Square and Toronto police say two people were arrested and charged with common nuisance in connection with the demonstration. Another person was arrested and charged with failing to comply with an undertaking.
Ice cream was also handed out in Nathan Phillips Square to those who waited in line for a shot.
“We are encouraging families to come here as part of the cause that we are all engaged in, which is to get people to get vaccinated so that we can keep people healthy most of all but also so we can reach those threshold levels put in place by the province to allow the city to open again,” Tory said on Sunday.
In an update later in the evening, the mayor said more than 2,500 doses were administered at the clinic.
“Thankful for all dedicated staff and to all the residents who came out to get their shot,” Tory tweeted.
Last week, the city announced that an additional 19,000 vaccine appointments would be opened up at city-run mass immunization sites over the long weekend to help ramp up vaccinations in Toronto. The mayor said there are approximately 5,000 appointments still available.
