More vaccine clinics, appointments coming to region, officials say in community update

In the region’s weekly community update Friday, local officials announced there would be more vaccine appointments coming to Bingemans and the Cambridge Pinebush clinic as Omicron continues to spread locally and province-wide. 

According to Dr. Rabia Bana, the Associate Medical Officer of Health, who is in for Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang this week, the region's seven-day rate per 100K residents is at 62.5.

She says the most severe outcomes will be among those who are unvaccinated, and is urging eligible residents to get their third dose as soon as possible.

A Hockey Hub “high-efficiency” model will be added to the Pinebush location, with the goal of ramping up capacity and maintaining aspects in place there already by Jan 5. 

Murray said a new clinic will also be opening on Monday, in partnership with HourGlass HR. The clinic will run at 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener seven days a week. 

Around 33 per cent of eligible residents have their boosters already, according to Vickie Murray, the Director of Regional Vaccine Services. It’s estimated that 67 per cent of eligible residents will have their booster shots by the end of January. 

Those with symptoms who are ineligible for a PCR test and who don’t have access to a rapid test are to assume they have COVID-19. 

Residents 30 and up are being encouraged not to walk away from vaccine appointments because they don’t want Moderna. 

With the new testing guidelines announced yesterday, President of St.Marys General Hospital Lee Fairclough has said that if you already had an appointment but don’t fall under the new guidelines, your appointment will not be cancelled. 

However, moving forward, they will be following the new guidelines. 

With files from Mark Pare.