Local COVID-19 vaccination capabilities expanding with first mass clinic set for Nepean Sportsplex

More Ottawans are able to book appointments to receive COVID-19 vaccines, while the City of Ottawa moves quickly to open its first mass vaccination clinic.

Starting Monday, March 8, residents who were born in or before 1941, or who are adult recipients of chronic home care, and who live in the following communities are eligible to book an appointment to receive their vaccine through a pop-up clinic:

Bayshore-Belltown
Carson Groves-Carson Meadows
Greenboro East
Hawthorne Meadows
Hunt Club East – Western Community
Hunt Club Park
Lowertown
Manor Park
Overbrook-McArthur
Parkwood Hills
Sheffield Glen
Stewart Farm
Vanier North
Vanier South

Those appointments will start on Friday, March 12.

Also happening on Friday, according to General Manager of Emergency and Protective Services Anthony Di Monte, will be the opening of the city's first mass vaccination clinic, to be located at the Nepean Sportsplex.

It's one of seven mass clinics planned to eventually open across Ottawa. Di Monte is hopeful that four of those sites will be opening in the next couple of weeks.

For the time being, only residents born in or before 1931 will be able to book an appointment at the sportsplex, starting Wednesday, March 10.

“We think we will get to a place where we'll have enough vaccine to truly open up all of our mass vaccination clinics and then start working our way down [the age groups, but until then] it'll be priority health groups,” explains Di Monte.

With between 10,000 and 12,000 residents over 90 living in Ottawa, Di Monte thinks it could take a couple of weeks to get them all vaccinated. After that is when he thinks another three mass clinics will come online and the city will be able to open up vaccinations to anyone over the age of 80 who wants one.

Aside from the seven mass clinics, Di Monte explains that vaccinations will continue at Queensway Carleton Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital's Civic Campus as well. He expects local pharmacies and doctor's offices will eventually start administering vaccines too. 

The seven mass clinics and hospitals alone will be able to administer about 15,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine each day, says Di Monte. Right now, the city is administering about 2,000-3,000 each day, but vaccine supply has been limited and health teams have been targeting high-risk populations.

Also starting Wednesday, March 10, patient-facing health care workers such as doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, midwives and physiotherapists, will be able to visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca to pre-register for a vaccination appointment. The city says they will get an email with the details of their appointment when it is their time in the vaccination sequencing.
 
First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members who are aged 50 and older are currently eligible for vaccination. Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team is providing vaccinations for Inuit. To book an appointment or for more information, residents can call 613-740-0999. Ottawa Public Health is partnering with Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health to provide a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members aged 50 and older at the St-Laurent Complex, located at 525 Côté Street.

Di Monte says the city is moving as quickly as possible to get as many people as it can vaccinated against COVID-19.

Listen to Di Monte's appearance on CityNews' The Rob Snow Show from Monday, March 8: