COVID-19: Winnipeg vaccine clinic taking 1st-shot walk-ins, 2nd-dose eligibility expanded

Anyone who hasn’t received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine can get a shot without first making an appointment at a Winnipeg clinic next week.

The province says walk-in appointments will be accepted at the Leila super site Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The clinic at 770 Leila Ave. will be accepting walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

The province also announced Friday eligibility for second-dose appointments has been expanded to include anyone who received their first shot on or before May 6.

2:24 Manitoba’s reopening plan

Earlier this week the province announced a pair of lotteries offering $100,000 prizes and $25,000 scholarships in an effort to persuade more people to get a shot.

Anyone who has had or will receive a shot will be automatically entered into two lottery draws this summer. Each draw will have seven cash winners — three in Winnipeg and one in each of the four other health regions — and 10 scholarship recipients. The scholarships will be reserved for youth between 12 and 17 years old.

On Tuesday, the province also unveiled a new proof-of-immunization card, available to all Manitobans two weeks after they receive their second dose of vaccine.

The cards will allow carriers to travel within Canada without being subject to the province’s mandatory 14-day self-isolation period upon their return, grant them greater visitation rights at hospitals and personal care homes, and exempt them from having to self-isolate if they are a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Health officials have said those making second-dose appointments need to know which vaccine they first received, and the date the dose was given.

Personal vaccine information can be found on Shared Health’s website or by calling the local public health office.

Vaccination appointments can be made by calling 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC) or visiting the province’s website.

As of Friday, a total of 1,003,678 doses of vaccine have been administered in Manitoba, health officials say.

— with files from The Canadian Press

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

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