Toronto police to patrol immunization sites as vaccinations for kids aged 5 to 11 ramp up
Toronto police say charges could be laid against those who will cause trouble at immunization sites in the city that could hinder families from getting their children their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In a tweet Friday evening, police said officers will be deployed near clinics and will patrol over the coming days.
"Their safety is of utmost importance and interference, or obstruction will not be tolerated. Charges will be laid if warranted," police tweeted.
Const. David Hopkinson told CP24 Friday that the directive came from interim Police Chief James Ramer in response to some concerns expressed by the community.
The city said its five immunization clinics will be running at full capacity this weekend as vaccinations for children aged five to 11 ramp up.
"It's a directive to the officers to be a bit more vigilant," Hopkinson said. "He's directed officers to pay a little bit more attention to the vaccination sites."
Earlier this week, protesters gathered outside a clinic in Windsor as children got their first dose of the Pfizer pediatric vaccine.
Hopkinson said Toronto police have not received any reports of incidents at vaccination clinics but warned that any disruption will not be permitted.
"This is more a proactive measure by the chief to try and provide safety for families that are visiting vaccination sites and to alleviate some concerns," he said.
"If a parent has decided that they think it's safe for their child to be vaccinated, they have the right to go into those vaccination clinics. They have the right to get the vaccination, and nobody should impede them from doing it. It will not be tolerated."
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.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'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 the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." 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.