Ottawa Hospital shutting down COVID-19 vaccination clinic

The Ottawa Civic hospital is seen Tuesday January 7, 2020 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -

The Ottawa Hospital is shutting down its COVID-19 vaccine clinic, making a shift in the local response to the pandemic as vaccinations increase and active cases decrease.

The clinic at the Civic campus delivered more than 105,000 vaccine doses to health care workers and high-risk patients.

Now, staff there will be redeployed to new community clinics at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park and the Nepean Sportsplex curling rink, which opened on Monday.

“This shift represents an important step forward in our vaccine rollout, as we continue to make progress and protect our community,” Ottawa Hospital president and CEO Cameron Love said in a news release.

Most hospital staff and high-risk patients are now fully vaccinated. Those who still need shots can get their vaccine through the hospital, the release said.

The news comes after health officials announced the COVID-19 testing centre on Heron Road will close next Friday.

“The ability to close this testing site is a reflection of Ottawa’s collective response to COVID-19,” the Ottawa COVID-19 testing task force said in its report on Wednesday.

Other testing centres across the city remain open. And the task force says if the need for increased testing arises, they are ready to ramp up as needed.