York Region Public Health is opening a new mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Newmarket Community Centre, at 200 Doug Duncan Dr.
The downtown clinic will be open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will replace the one currently operating out of the York Region Administrative Centre on Yonge Street.
The opening of a mass vaccination clinic will allow for greater capacity to support increased vaccination efforts to eligible individuals, regional spokesperson Patrick Casey said in a news release.
Booking begins for eligible individuals on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 8:30 a.m. with appointments as early as Thursday, Jan. 6.
In York Region anyone aged five and older is eligible for a first or second vaccine dose while residents aged 50 and older, those born in 1971 or earlier, are able to book a booster dose.
"York Region is prioritizing booster doses for individuals age 50+ as this age group is more vulnerable to serious illness related to COVID-19 and more likely to be admitted to hospital. Protecting the currently strained acute care capacity is a priority during this omicron surge phase of the pandemic," Casey said.
To further ramp up the vaccination effort, York Region will release about 14,600 appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations across all its clinics Wednesday. Approximately 4,500 appointments are released daily and this will be increased to 5,000 daily on Saturday, Jan. 8.
This week the region has also expanded operation hours at some clinics. Clincs at the Aaniin Community Centre in Markham, the Richmond Green Sports Centre in Richmond Hill, and the Maple Community Centre in Vaughan will be open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., effective Jan. 2. The clinic at the Georgina Ice Palace in Georgina will be open seven days a week starting on Sunday, Jan. 9.
Appointments can be booked online and residents are encouraged to check back often.
