Toronto holds 2 COVID vaccination clinics for education workers as cases climb

In a push to vaccinate all education workers ahead of back-to-school, the city of Toronto is holding two COVID-19 immunization clinics on Sunday.

In a press release, the city said the clinics are part of its efforts to “support the province and school boards reopening schools to in-class learning as planned on January 17.”

The clinics are being held at Woodbine Mall and the Scarborough Town Centre.

Toronto’s Mayor John Tory, who helped to open the clinic at Woodbine Mall Sunday morning, thanked education workers.

“We are ramping up school vaccination efforts so that the province and the school boards can reopen in-class learning as planned on January 17,” he said in the release Sunday. “Today’s City-run clinics are just two of the many clinics being held by Team Toronto to help support a safe return to in-person learning as soon as possible.”

In a post on Twitter, Tory said walk-in third dose appointments have been added for education workers at Woodbine Mall and Scarborough Town Centre on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET.

Those looking to get their vaccine will need to provide proof of education employment.

He said only the Moderna Spikevax vaccines are being administered.

On Jan. 16, two additional city-run clinics will be held to offer COVID-19 vaccines to education workers.

“School staff are being notified and booked by school boards through their appointment booking system,” the release reads.

According to the city, more than 939,000 eligible Toronto residents have had their third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The latest numbers released Jan. 4 suggest that 89.5 per cent of residents aged 12 and up have had at least one COVID-19 shot, while 86.7 per cent have had two doses.

The data also said more than 46 per cent of children between five and 11 have received their first COVID-19 shot, while seven per cent have had two doses.