Second dose dash continues in Ottawa as risk of COVID-19 variant increases
There is a push to speed up second doses across Ontario as the Delta variant continues to spread.
On Saturday, hundreds of people received their first and second doses at pop-up sites in Ottawa.
"It’s all about getting as many of the doses to as many of our citizens as fast as possible, period," said Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, an Ottawa critical and palliative care doctor.
The weekend push in the capital comes as accelerated second dose booking eligibility is set to open further on Monday to adults who received their first dose before May 9.
"We need everybody to get their second doses. This is a big push to get everybody immunized as fast as we can," said family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, who organized her fourth pop-up clinic in the Glebe Saturday.
The initiative, dubbed 'Jabapalooza', saw nearly 600 people get a vaccine, most of which were second doses.
"Almost everybody who’s here, they got their first shot from us at one of the first Jabapaloza’s," said Dr. Kaplan-Myrth. "Some of these people are the essential workers who we had reached out to before to say come to us and we’ll give you your vaccine."
In Ottawa's west end, a pop-up clinic at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre filled up quickly, fully booked by 10 a.m.
First and second doses were offered there to residents from 21 high risk neighbourhoods designated by Ottawa Public Health.
This comes as Ottawa gets set to open five new mass vaccination clinics on Monday, thanks to an influx of Moderna vaccines from the province. Hundreds of new appointments were available online Saturday evening.
"The strategy is sound, we know the vaccines are effective against the variant, there is reasons for optimism, there is reasons to think we can see that light at the end of the tunnel," said Dr. Kyeremanteng.
As of Friday, 75 percent of adults in the capital had received at least one dose of a vaccine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.