Kanata North COVID-19 Update June 7 

Good evening Kanata North,  

I’m very pleased to share that starting today residents ages 70 and above are now eligible to book a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through both the provincial booking system, and through pharmacies. With this being said, overwhelming demand for accelerated appointments in Ottawa temporarily overloaded the provincial booking system, which resulted in delays accessing available appointments. Some residents may experience issues or delays while trying to book. For those who have experienced difficulties, you may wish to try later as many residents have been able to successfully book an appointment today.  

There is a limited number of appointments available in Ottawa, but there are some. Today, the Mayor sent a letter to Premier Ford demanding that Ottawa get our fair share of vaccine supply. Please know that new appointments are continually appearing on the site due to cancellations and changes in scheduling. If you are 70+ and trying to book your second dose, please visit the online provincial booking portal or call 1-833-943-3900. Second doses can also be secured through the pharmacy booking system. 

According to Ottawa Public Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard, today we saw just 19 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa, which is great news, and very reassuring that our methods for fighting the virus are working! 

I’m also happy to share that the province announced today that Ontario is moving to Step One of its Roadmap to Reopen this Friday, June 11 at 12:01 AM. This step will include the return of outdoor dining with four people, and outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people. Many other restrictions will also be lifted. This is exciting progress, and I know it is welcome news. 

Vaccines are reaching more people than ever before. Over 679,738 doses have been administered in Ottawa, and that number is climbing. If you’re eligible, please book a vaccination. As restrictions begin to ease, please continue to use your judgement and avoid taking risks. Let’s all continue to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  

 Reopening: What can we expect next?   

The government announced today that we will enter Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures this Friday, June 11 2021, at 12:01 AM.  

 

What’s permitted under step 1? (Friday June 11, 12:01 AM)  

  • Larger outdoor gatherings for up to 10 people  
  • Outdoor dining for up to 4 people per table  
  • Essential retail capacity at 25%  
  • Non-essential retail at 15%  
  • Outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of 2 metres  
  • Outdoor sports, fitness and personal training up to 10 people  
  • Day camps  
  • Campsites and campgrounds  
  • Overnight camping at Ontario Parks  
  • Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways  
  • Outdoor pools and wading pools 
  • Ontario border restrictions remain in effect until June 16

  

What’s permitted under step 2? (Expected to start 21 days after step 1 begins)  

  • Larger outdoor gatherings for up to 25 people  
  • Small indoor gatherings for up to 5 people  
  • Outdoor dining for up to 6 people per table  
  • Essential retail at 50% capacity  
  • Non-essential retail capacity at 25%  
  • Personal care services (barbers, salons, etc) where face coverings can be worn at all times  
  • Outdoor meeting and event spaces  
  • Outdoor amusement and water parks  
  • Outdoor boat tour operators  
  • Outdoor county fairs and rural exhibitions  
  • Outdoor sports leagues and events  
  • Outdoor cinemas, performing arts, live music events and attractions  

What’s permitted under step 3? (Expected to start 21 days after step 2 begins)  

  • Larger indoor and outdoor gatherings  
  • Indoor dining  
  • Essential and non-essential retail open with limited capacity  
  • Larger indoor religious services, rites, and ceremony gatherings  
  • Indoor meeting and event spaces  
  • Indoor sports and recreational facilities  
  • Indoor seated events  
  • Indoor attractions and cultural amenities  
  • Casino and bingo halls  
  • Other outdoor activities from Step 2 permitted to operate indoors  

VACCINE UPDATE 

Introducing Vax Aide 

Booking vaccinations and navigating facts digitally poses a challenge for many in our community. It’s important that everyone is vaccinated in a timely manner, but the barriers technology can create leave some people in our community more vulnerable at this time than others. Vax Aide is a new support service launched in collaboration with the Human Needs Task Force, 211, Ottawa Public Health and Volunteer Ottawa. They will make booking appointments easier for people in our community through the following:  

  1. Use volunteer administrators to book vaccine appointments for the vulnerable, particularly now as second doses are in 
  2. Use a newly created vetted volunteer driver pool, to drive the vulnerable to their appointments 
  3. Coordinate with 2-1-1 to ensure over 65 and under 65 are covered for transportation 

 

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please review the information available through the Vax Aide website.  

First does eligibility at a community clinic (12+)     

Residents can book an appointment on the online provincial booking portal or by calling 1-833-943-3900. Residents can book online for appointments at the community vaccination clinics:      

  • Infinity Convention Centre, 2901 Gibford Drive    
  • Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue    
  • Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA, 265 Centrum Boulevard    
  • Eva James Memorial Community Centre, 65 Stonehaven Drive    
  • City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West    

How to book a vaccine at a pharmacy (12+)   

While supplies are limited, some pharmacies in Ottawa are providing Moderna for residents 18+ and Pfizer for residents 12+. If you’re eligible for vaccination, please register ASAP. Additional information as well as participating locations can be found on the Province of Ontario website. Kanata pharmacies participating in the program include:      

 These vaccinations are separate from Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa’s vaccination roll-out. Residents are asked to call participating pharmacies directly or the Province of Ontario Vaccination Information Line at 1-888-999-6488 if they have questions on the pharmacy vaccination program. Supplies are limited and appointments are booking quickly.      

If your first dose was AstraZeneca 

If your first dose was the AstraZeneca vaccine, for your second dose you can choose to receive either: 

  • a second dose of AstraZeneca 
  • one of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) 

You can get either of these options, at least 12 weeks after your first dose at a participating pharmacy or primary care setting. You may also book through the Provincial booking system. 

As mentioned above, second dose appointments are available for residents 70+ through the provincial booking system and through pharmacies. There have been glitches with the provincial system, so please have patience. More appointments will be added as more vaccines become available. 

Thank you for your patience. I appreciate the efforts every one of you have made to reduce the spread of COVID-19. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I am grateful to our community for all your sacrifices and diligence to this point.  

Take care,  

Jenna Sudds