Ford to make announcement on Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination plan

Premier Doug Ford will make an announcement Tuesday about an update to Ontario’s vaccination plan.

This is the premier’s first announcement since Thursday, when he pushed the “emergency brake” to send Ontario into a province-wide shutdown to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Since then the province has seen daily COVID-19 case counts near or above 3,000, and the top doctors for Ontario’s three largest health regions are calling for a provincial Stay-at-Home order.

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City of Toronto clinics are currently booking vaccination appointments for residents as young as 60 as health authorities try to get people immunized to stem the growing third wave of infection.

Epidemiological modelling released Thursday suggested Ontario’s vaccination strategy isn’t reaching the communities hardest hit by the virus equitably, since people in lower-risk communities more likely to have received their first shot even when adjusted for age.

Ontario reported 2,938 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the provincial total to 364,537.

Ford’s announcement is scheduled for 1 pm.