LEX drive-through clinic busy; additional clinics being added

The first official vaccination clinic for residents of Kawartha Lakes started today at the Lindsay Exhibition grounds, known as the LEX. The drive-through clinic is administered by the Ross Memorial Hospital in partnership with Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service.

Several local agencies are working together to ensure that as many seniors aged 80 and older are vaccinated as quickly as possible. Community Care is providing rides to those who need transportation to the clinic.

Fire and Police Services have been involved to ensure smooth operations for entering and exiting the site. The HKPR District Health Unit has been working with the provincial government to ensure vaccines are available and properly stored.

The health unit is reporting that residents born in 1941 or earlier will soon have more area clinic locations and dates to choose from when looking to book a vaccination appointment.

Although the provincial booking system went live on Monday, not all of the vaccination clinics planned across Ontario, including Haliburton County, Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes, have been loaded into the system.

Additional clinic locations and appointment times will be available on the system in the coming weeks. Anyone who has previously tried to book a vaccination appointment and has not found a local clinic is encouraged to revisit the provincial booking system again in the coming weeks to see additional clinic locations and dates.

“We know some of our residents went into the provincial booking system to book their appointments this week and discovered there were no clinics in their area,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill, acting medical officer of health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU).

“We understand that it has been frustrating, but we need to ensure that there is a dose of vaccine available for every appointment and I would ask people to be patient and go back into the system in the coming weeks to check for additional clinics.”

Everyone who wants the vaccine will receive it, Dr. Gemmill said, and he asks for everyone’s understanding as the vaccine program unfolds.  As more vaccine becomes available, more clinic appointments can open, and more people can be vaccinated, he said.  In the meantime, immunization of high-risk people in phase one, such as residents of retirement homes, is continuing.

All vaccination appointments for residents born in 1941 or earlier MUST be booked through the provincial booking system. Booking can be done online at www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by phone at 1-888-999-6488.

The following clinic locations are either already appearing on the provincial booking system or will appear in the coming weeks.

Kawartha Lakes:

Lindsay Exhibition (LEX) – 354 Angeline Street South, Lindsay – appointments can be booked through the provincial system and clinics will begin March 18.

Fenelon Falls Community Centre – 27 Veterans Way, Fenelon Falls – clinic dates and times will be added to the provincial booking system in the coming weeks. Clinics will begin the week of April 5.

Photo at LEX: Courtesy Kawartha Lakes.