City of Ottawa closing some COVID-19 vaccine, testing clinics as demand slows

The Ottawa COVID-19 vaccine community clinic at the Nepean Sportsplex. (CTV News Ottawa)

OTTAWA -

Some COVID-19 vaccination clinics and at least one testing site will be closing this week as demand for vaccines slows down and COVID-19 case counts remain low.

In a public service announcement, the City of Ottawa said that five mass vaccination clinics would remain open in Ottawa as of Wednesday.

"Most Ottawa residents have now been vaccinated against COVID-19 – 83 per cent of residents over 18 years old have received their first dose, and 67 per cent are fully vaccinated with a second dose. Thousands more are booked to receive their vaccinations before August 15," the City of Ottawa said.

The five clinics that will continue to operate as of Wednesday are as follows:

• Eva James Memorial Community Centre - 65 Stonehaven Dr.
• Nepean Sportsplex - 1701 Woodroffe Ave.
• Ottawa City Hall - 110 Laurier Ave. W.
• Queensway Carleton Hospital - 3045 Baseline Rd.
• Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA - 265 Centrum Blvd.

The clinics at the St. Laurent Complex, the Canadian Tire Centre, the University of Ottawa Minto Sports Complex, the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park, and the Canterbury Recreation Complex will close.

"Anyone with a future appointment at a previously available community clinic is encouraged to rebook now for an earlier date at the most convenient location. Efforts are also underway to reach out directly to these individuals," the city said.

You can rebook any appointments that you may have scheduled at other sites by visiting Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine portal or by calling 1-833-943-3900 (Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

The city has been offering vaccines to drop-in clients at select community clinics, based on availability, including at some of the clinics listed above. To receive a first dose, you must be at least 12 years old, and to receive a second dose, it must be at least 28 days since your first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna) or eight weeks since a first dose of AstraZeneca. The city releases the clinics with drop-in availability and the number of appointments each day on its social media channels.

"Consolidating the number of community clinics now makes sense from a demand perspective and will allow staff and our partners to focus on other service delivery priorities. We will, however, remain vigilant and retain our ability to quickly adjust the number of community clinics, as required," said a joint memo from Emergency and Protective Services General Manager Anthony Di Monte and Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brent Moloughney.

Pop-up testing site in Vanier closing Thursday

The pop-up COVID-19 testing centre at the Vanier Community Centre will also be closing this week.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said in a release Tuesday that COVID-19 testing would no longer be available at the community centre after 4 p.m. Thursday.

"Vanier residents will continue to have access to local COVID-19 testing through Ottawa’s Community Health Centres (CHCs). The Centretown, Somerset West and Sandy Hill CHCs are all located in the downtown core and provide social supports and COVID-19 testing to local residents and underserved communities," the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said.

Di Monte recently commented on the eventual closure of some clinics as COVID-19 case counts remain low, the pace of vaccination slows, and demand for testing decreases, adding staff would be redeployed back to their regular duties.

The testing clinic at the Vanier Community Centre has been in operations since December 2020, the task force said. Members of Ottawa Public Health and the Montfort Hospital staffed it.

"As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce and its partners will monitor testing demand across Ottawa and in key neighbourhoods and will ramp up services as required," the task force said.