Health Department opens rotating and fixed pop-up clinics in Ajax and Pickering hot spots

Updated May 6, 2021

We are providing a correction to information contained in this news release to clarify that individuals must be at least 18 years old on the day of their appointment to be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This clarification was received from the province.

Rotating clinics are in addition to the L1S hot spot location at Ajax Community Centre

REVISED FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 – 5 P.M.

Whitby, Ontario - Starting April 29, Durham Region Health Department will begin operating rotating pop-up hot spot clinics at various locations in the Ajax and Pickering hot spot postal code areas L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z. These clinics are in addition to the fixed L1S pop-up hot spot clinic located at Ajax Community Centre, which will continue to operate along with the rotating clinics. All pop-up hot spot clinics are by appointment only for residents 18 and older, or who will be turning 18 this year. Individuals in the identified hot spots must show proof of age and address when arriving at clinics.

The rotating sites will serve residents who live in the hot spot postal code area where the clinic is located. Rotating clinics will operate on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each week until May 28 and will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The first rotating pop-up hot spot clinic for residents in the L1X hot spot postal code will be held at Pineridge Secondary School, 2155 Liverpool Road, Pickering on April 29 and 30, and May 1. Appointments will be available for booking for individuals who live in the L1X postal code area starting at 9 p.m. on April 26 by visiting www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment  or calling 1-888-444-5113. A full schedule of dates and locations for other pop-up hot spot rotating clinics for the L1T, L1V and L1Z hot spot areas is available at www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

The Health Department, in partnership with Lakeridge Health, has already established a permanent, fixed pop-up hot spot clinic at the Ajax Community Centre, in the L1S hot spot area, which opened on April 22. This site operates on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week until May 28 and is open to all residents 18-plus living in the identified Ajax and Pickering hot spot postal code areas, L1S, L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z. Appointments for the Ajax Community Centre clinic can be booked at covidvaccine.lh.ca or by calling 905-721-4828; however, appointments are fully booked at this site until at least April 28.

In addition to the rotating and fixed clinic sites for Ajax and Pickering hot spot residents where appointments are required, walk-in mobile clinics will also be operating at various locations in the identified hot spot postal code areas, (L1S, L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z). Details on dates, operating hours and location of mobile clinics will be announced before the mobile clinic arrives in a particular neighbourhood. No appointments are necessary to access the mobile clinics.

While the Health Department continues to expand clinic access for Durham Region residents by adding hot spot and mobile clinic locations, community mass vaccination clinics continue to operate in all municipalities across the Region. Residents 50-plus who live in any of the hot spot areas can also book an appointment at the Ajax (Audley Recreation Centre), Pickering and Whitby Durham Region mass immunization clinics. Individuals 18 to 49-years old who live in a hot spot area must book at a hot spot pop-up clinic or attend a hot spot mobile clinic. For information on clinic locations and additional eligibility requirements visit www.durham.ca/covidvaccines. Residents are asked to book only one appointment per person. Also, 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, helping to ensure appointments are available for everyone.

Area residents 40 and older, or who will be turning 40 in 2021, are now also eligible to book appointments through participating pharmacies to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. For information on participating Durham Region pharmacies see https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations. The AstraZeneca vaccine pharmacy program is overseen by the province.

Appointments for the Health Department’s mass immunization clinics and all hot spot pop-up clinics, as well as the provision of mobile clinics, are based on vaccine availability which is the responsibility of the province working in partnership with the federal government. Once vaccines spots have been fully booked, appointments are no longer available. As additional vaccine is confirmed, more spots will be added.

- 30 -

For more information, please contact the Health Department