Residents 80 years of age an d older can begin to book appointments for a COVID-19 vaccination, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit announced Wednesday.
Vaccinations will begin next week for all Northumberland County residents born in 1941 or earlier and who currently have a health-care provider. Mass vaccination clinics will be set up at the Cobourg Community Centre and the Trent Hills Emergency Services Base in Campbellford.
In the City of Kawartha Lakes, a similar setup will be established at the Lindsay Exhibition fairgrounds in Lindsay.
The health unit notes that starting Wednesday, applicable residents will be receiving a call to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments will begin March 16 and continue for the next two to three weeks, depending on vaccine availability.
Any residents who miss the call to book the appointment will be called a second time. If there is still no answer after the second call, a message will be left providing instructions on how the resident can book the appointment, the health unit explained.
Northumberland County residents ages 80 and up without a health care provider can still book an appointment for a vaccination via the province’s online registration system and a phone-in option, both of which go live starting March 15.
Dr. Ian Gemmill, acting medical officer of health, says residents have been anxiously waiting for a vaccine and the health unit says it is working with many different community agencies as part of the rollout plans.
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“Offering appointments first to older residents with a primary health-care provider is designed to help to reduce the number of people expected to call the provincial booking system once it goes live next week,” Gemmill stated.
“Appointments are being staggered to help to reduce the pressure on the booking system and the vaccination clinics and is intended to use the vaccine in the most optimal way.”
Community Care Northumberland will be providing transportation services to any Northumberland County senior who has an appointment booked. Individuals who have a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment and require transportation can phone Community Care Northumberland’s transportation team at 1-866-768-7778 to register and request a ride to their appointment.
Residents of retirement homes and other senior’s congregate housing settings will still receive their vaccinations from the health unit, and those clinics will take place in those retirement homes over the next few weeks.
The health unit aims to have six fixed site vaccination clinics throughout the summer, with two each in the City of Kawartha Lakes and both Northumberland and Haliburton counties.
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“We will have those as fixed sites that can go for weeks and even right through the summer to get second doses into arms,” Dr. Gemmill said. “The sites will have stations including greeters those who check consent. There will be a short waiting area for those waiting for vaccine and another spot for observation once they’ve received their vaccine.”
Other plans include mobile/pop-up and drive-thru vaccination clinics as appointments will eventually shift to adults with high-risk chronic conditions, their caregivers, people unable to work from home and adults between 60 to 70 in five-year increments.
“We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Dr. Gemmill said. “The HKPRDHU region has not been receiving as much vaccine as other areas of the province due to our low population and lower incidence of COVID cases.
“I have been asking people to be patient and that patience is about to be rewarded, as the province is telling us we should soon have enough vaccine to vaccinate all of our residents before long.”
On Wednesday, the health unit reported 32 active cases of COVID-19 in its jurisdiction.
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