Health Department declares north Oshawa L1L as a hot spot postal code area

Eligibility at area mass immunization clinics also open to 18+

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department has declared the L1L north Oshawa postal code as a hot spot area. Starting May 17 at 9 p.m., eligible individuals will be able to book vaccine appointments for this hot spot area at the Ontario Tech Ice Campus clinic. Appointments are open to individuals who live or work in the L1L area. To book appointments, visit covidvaccine.lh.ca or call 905-721-4828. Identification is required at time of appointment. For information on acceptable identification visit www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

The Health Department continuously reviews data on COVID transmission and vaccination rates in Durham Region. A recent review found that the L1L north Oshawa neighbourhood has the lowest vaccination rates in Durham Region and a high rate of COVID transmission. By declaring this neighbourhood as a hot spot postal code, the Health Department, working with Lakeridge Health, will provide additional vaccine for the Ontario Tech Ice Campus clinic to ensure adequate supply is available for those who live and work in the L1L area. The Health Department continues to monitor other Durham Region neighbourhoods to determine if other areas of concern are identified.

In addition to the new north Oshawa L1L hot spot postal code area, the Health Department continues to vaccinate residents and workers in the Ajax and Pickering hot spot areas L1S, L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z, by providing hot spot pop-up clinics and hot spot mobile clinics in these postal code areas. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in Durham Region, visit www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

Today, the province also announced that eligibility has been expanded to all residents 18 and older, or individuals who will be turning 18 this year. These individuals are now eligible to receive vaccine at any Durham Region community mass immunization clinic. Individuals who are 17-years old and will be turning 18 in 2021 will also be eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointment for Pfizer vaccine only. Moderna vaccine is only administered to individuals who are 18 years and older. The Health Department’s booking system will note the appropriate clinic for booking based on age. Appointments for this new eligibility group will be available starting at 9 p.m. on May 17. To book appointments visit www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment or call 1-888-444-5113. It is important to note that eligibility for vaccine does not mean that vaccine appointments will be available immediately.

Residents are reminded that once appointment bookings open, the website will experience a significant increase in traffic resulting in considerable wait-times when trying to book appointments. Residents are asked to please be patient as they keep trying to access the site.

Individuals should book only one appointment per person. If you already have an appointment and choose to book for another time or at a different clinic location, please remember to cancel the first appointment to avoid duplication and to ensure appointments are available for everyone.

The province also recently announced that both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available at participating pharmacies throughout Durham Region. For a listing of area pharmacies participating in this program visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department