The Ontario government is detailing what Phase Two of the vaccine implementation program will look like.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Premier Doug ford reiterated that by the end of Phase One, approximately 1.5 million eligible people will have been vaccinated.
The vaccination of all staff and residents in long-term care homes in four areas with the highest rates of transmission, Toronto, Peel and York is expected to be completed by January 21, 2021 — Windsor-Essex already completed this phase of the vaccination process.
According to documents from the province, groups eligible to receive vaccines as part of Phase Two of the Ontario immunization program will include:
Phase Two is expected to be completed by end of July 2021 and Phase Three for the general population could begin as early as August 2021, pending availability of vaccines.
According to the province, in preparation for Phase Two of the vaccination distribution plan, more vaccination sites will be added. Over the coming months, those sites will include municipally run vaccination sites, hospital sites, mobile vaccination sites, pharmacies, clinics, primary care settings and community locations such as community health centres and aboriginal health access centres.
"We are prepared for the next phase in our vaccine distribution plan, but with limited supplies, our focus will be on vaccinating our seniors and frontline essential workers," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "When Ontario receives sufficient doses of vaccines, we will ensure that every person who wants to be vaccinated will receive it. Until then, everyone must continue to follow the public health guidelines and stay home, stay safe and save lives."
To date, vaccines have been administered at 196 locations. Over 144,000 doses of the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine have been administered across the province, including over 45,000 vaccinations administered to health care workers in long-term care homes and retirement homes, over 77,000 vaccinations administered to hospital workers and over 13,000 vaccinations administered to residents.
Ontario received nearly 196,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on January 11, with regular weekly shipments of Pfizer vaccine expected during January 2021.