The mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bradley Centre in Chatham will be closing soon.
Chatham-Kent Public Health said vaccinations will instead be offered at smaller, community-based pop-up clinics throughout Chatham-Kent starting the second week of August. Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said August 7 is the last scheduled vaccination clinic at the Bradley Centre.
“I heartily thank the many staff, community partners, and volunteers that brought the Bradley Centre Clinic to life,” said Colby. “Our work at the mass vaccination clinic has been critical to getting our community protected from COVID-19.”
More than 102,000 shots have been given at the Bradley Centre clinic since it opened at the end of February.
The new outreach model will continue to be managed by Chatham-Kent Public Health in partnership with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Chatham-Kent Emergency Medical Services, and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
Dr. Colby said this new approach will provide more opportunities to reduce barriers and assist people from all corners of Chatham-Kent in accessing COVID-19 vaccines.
“Although the mass vaccination clinic is closing, there is still much work to do,” said Dr. Colby. “Chatham-Kent’s youth have one of the lowest vaccination rates in the province.”
He said people will still be able to receive the vaccine from select pharmacies and primary care providers across the municipality, such as doctors, in addition to the pop-up clinics.
Residents of Chatham-Kent have four more opportunities to visit the walk-in vaccination clinic at the Bradley Centre for their first or second dose.
Click here to check the remaining Bradley Centre clinics and future pop-up clinics.
Ontario needs to have at least 80 per cent of people aged 12 and up with a first dose in order to move out of Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen. The province also needs 75 per cent of the population with a second dose and can't have any health unit with less than 70 per cent of people fully vaccinated.
Chatham-Kent has four new cases of COVID-19. On Friday, the local public health unit reported the new cases to bring the total number of active cases to 19.
A COVID-19 outbreak continues at the Community Living day program with three cases.