Toronto opening 8,000 COVID-19 vaccination appointments for Sunday and Monday

Toronto is opening 8,000 more COVID-19 vaccination appointments in an effort to get more residents vaccinated to combat the highly-contagious Omicron variant.

On Friday, at 8 a.m., the city will be opening the appointments for adults and children on the provincial booking system. The appointments will be available for Sunday, Jan. 16 and Monday, Jan.17 at any of the city’s five mass immunization clinics.

“Given the emergence of the new Omicron variant and ongoing community transmission of the Delta variant, TPH urges all eligible residents to book their third-dose appointment,” city staff wrote in a press release on Friday. “COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death, while protecting oneself, loved ones and the community.”

The city-run clinics are located at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Cloverdale Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, Mitchell Field Community Centre and Woodbine Mall.

City staff said residents over 30 years old will receive Moderna's vaccine until the city receives more supply of Pfizer, which is expected later this month.

In addition to city-run clinics, residents can book vaccination appointments at hospital clinics, through their local health team’s websites, and at pharmacies across the city.

In the last seven days, the city has administered more than 200,000 coronavirus vaccine doses.

To date, 49 per cent of children aged five to 11 in Toronto have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 11 per cent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, almost 90 per cent of residents 12 years and older have received at least one dose, nearly 87 per cent have received two doses and 48 per cent have received three doses.