Province approves another 79 Ottawa pharmacies to administer COVID-19 vaccine

More than 700 Ontario pharmacies are joining the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as the province races to slow to spread of the virus.

Government officials announced Sunday that the move will rapidly expand the availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 55 and over this week.

With the new locations, more than 1,400 pharmacies will offer vaccines, with the province expecting to add another 100 by the end of April.

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In the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), there are three new pharmacies approved to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in Cornwall and Rockland. 

There are 22 new sites added in the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark Health Unit. That includes pharmacies in Smiths Falls, Perth, Brockville, Carleton Place, Almonte, Merrickville, and Kemptville.

In the Ottawa Public Health Unit area, there are 79 additional pharmacies now allowed to administer the vaccine. Ten of the locations are east of the Rideau River, with sites in Gloucester, Orleans, and Navan among them.  

However, councillor Mathieu Fleury said the rollout still does not address the pharmacy gap in communities east of Rideau River.

Pharmacy locations in the Ottawa Public Health Unit:

Pharmacy locations in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Health Unit:

Pharmacy locations in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 

Pharmacy locations in the Renfrew District Health Unit: 

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The announcement came as Ontario reported 4,456 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, marking a new single-day high for new infections.

The latest figures show 21 additional deaths associated with the virus and a sharp rise of new cases in Toronto, which jumped by nearly 400 to 1,353.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said there were 860 new cases of COVID-19 in Peel Region and 444 in York Region over the past 24 hours. Ottawa and Durham Region logged daily counts of 377 and 329, respectively.

— with files from the Canadian Press