Chatham-Kent residents 40 and older can start booking their COVID-19 vaccine appointments on Thursday morning.
Chatham-Kent Public Health is also allowing the second group of essential workers who can't work from home to begin booking their appointments on Tuesday morning. Appointments can be booked online at GetYourShotCK.ca or by calling 519-351-1010 and leaving a message.
The new group of essential workers who cannot work from home include:
– Essential and critical retail workers (including grocery, food bank and non-clinical pharmacy workers, Service Ontario workers, Service Canada and Passport Canada workers, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant workers, LCBO employees)
– Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction including infrastructure, and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and spread.
– Social workers and other social services staff providing in-person client services (including youth justice workers, Ontario Works, and Ontario Disability Support Program case workers)
– Courts and justice system workers (including probation and parole workers)
– Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers (including public transit workers, taxi drivers, truck drivers supporting essential services, marine and rail cargo, and maintenance, highway maintenance)
– Electricity (including workers employed in system operations, generation, transmission, distribution, and storage)
– Communications infrastructure workers (including cellular, satellite, landline, internet, public safety radio)
– Water and wastewater management workers
– Financial services workers (bank branch staff)
– Veterinarians and veterinary teams
– Waste management workers
– Oil and petroleum workers (including petroleum refineries, storage, transmission, and distribution of crude oil and petroleum products, and the retail sale of fuel)
– Natural gas and propane gas workers (including compression, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas and propane)
– Mine workers and Uranium processing workers
Public health officials said several dates and times will be available for appointments over the next few weeks as the vaccine supply allows. The appointments will be available at the Bradley Centre Vaccination Clinic and mobile clinics at the Wallaceburg Memorial Arena scheduled on May 21, and a drive-thru clinic at Gincor Trailer Werx parking lot at 1 Solvay Dr. in Blenheim on May 30.
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said he expects to start vaccinating local youth 12 and older beginning in June or July. Health Canada has approved the Pfizer vaccine for that age group. Colby hopes that will facilitate a decision to hold in-person classes at school come September.
The doctor also admitted he’s not a big fan of mixing second doses and will try to avoid it. Just over 40 per cent of the population 16 and older in Chatham-Kent has received at least one shot.
For the latest COVID-19 vaccination updates, please visit ckphu.com/covid-19-vaccines.