TORONTO – The race for the booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine continues unstoppable. Telephone lines to make reservations have been hot since the province started bookings. And so today the city of Toronto made available from January 1st to 3 another 14 thousand new appointments at its clinics. 

today, the city also confirmed that more than 25% of Toronto residents aged 18 and over have received the booster dose for Covid-19. And despite the holidays, health care personnel will work tirelessly over the weekends to immunize as many people as possible. “Team Toronto and all its partners are working hard during the holidays to get eligible residents vaccinated with the first, second and third doses of Covid-19 vaccine,” reads the press release issued by City Hall.

In an effort to slow the spread of the most infectious variant of Omicron, which has led to a rapid increase in cases across Ontario – today with 5,790 infections the new record since the beginning of the pandemic was set – all adults who received the second dose at least three months ago can now receive the booster dose. Officials believe that the decrease in immunity has led to an increase in cases, and a third dose will provide better protection against Omicron infection.

And like Toronto, the York Region has made available since today about 15 thousand appointments for the week of December 27th. In the new clinics opened – at the Richmond Green Sports Center on Elgin Mills Road East and at the Aaniin Community Center at 14th Avenue – people aged 5 and up can receive the first and second doses, those over 50 who received the second dose at least three months ago on the booster. Health officials say they are currently prioritizing recalls for anyone over 50 as this age group is more vulnerable to severe outcomes and illnesses related to Covid-19.

But the scarcity of available appointments has prompted some regions such as Peel to urge younger residents not to book recall appointments right away to prioritize those over 50. Peel Region Chief Medical Officer Lawrence Loh said all current vaccine appointments are booked until early February and that the region is working to add thousands of places to the provincial online booking platform every day.

According to recent data, some densely populated downtown Toronto neighborhoods are experiencing some of the highest rates of Covid-19 transmission in the city.

Information posted on the city’s website indicates that Waterfront Communities, a downtown neighborhood bordered by Queen and Front Street to the north, Bathurst Street to the west and Don Valley to the east, records a case rate of 881 per 100,000 people. Toronto’s Niagara neighborhood, adjacent to the Waterfront area, has a case rate of 837 per 100,000. Little Portugal is currently reporting 848 cases per 100,000 and at Trinity Bellwoods, the rate of cases is 749 per 100,000.