Error messages, booking issues reported as Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine portal launches

TORONTO – Error messages and other issues were reported Monday after Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine booking system saw tens of thousands of residents log on to schedule shots for those aged 80 and up.

In southern Ontario, the Grey Bruce Health Unit warned residents not to use the portal because of booking errors that occurred with its clinics.

“Please do not attempt to book an appointment at this time,” it said just hours after the provincial site’s launch. “We will update as soon as the issues are resolved.”

The Simcoe-Muskoka Health Unit said some people were encountering error messages that indicated no local appointments were available through the booking site for its region. The health unit said the province had not finished inputting all of its clinics and was hoping to resolve the issue Monday.

Elsewhere, users reported seeing error messages after filling out the website’s vaccine booking forms.

“Tried York Region site, no spots available,” one person trying to book an appointment for her mother said on social media. “Tried Ontario gov site, was in queue, then two error messages. Now on hold in phone queue going on 18 minutes.”

The online booking system went live at 8 a.m., and the site showed more than 8,000 people in the queue for an appointment a few minutes later, with an estimated wait time of about an hour.

The lineup appeared to grow quickly, with some who went on the site shortly afterward reporting a longer estimated wait time.

Some who went onto the site shared their successes on social media.

“My in-laws (with the help of their doting son) both got COVID-19 vaccine appointments for next Tuesday at City Hall. I can’t believe how happy and relieved I am!,” one Ottawa resident said on Twitter.

Others took issue with the time required to reserve a spot.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health says the technical issues are now resolved, saying the portal has now led to roughly 92,000 vaccinations.

“The ministry had been informed that some individuals were receiving an error message during the booking process. This technical issue has now been resolved,” said Alexandra Hilkene, spokesperson for the Minister of Health.

“We have had great success with our booking system to date. As of 3:00 pm today, more than 92,000 appointments for first and second doses have been booked since the provincial booking system was launched this morning.”

Qualifying residents can visit the online portal or call a hotline to book their appointment.

Please be patient and only access the online booking tool or call for support if you are eligible for a vaccination appointment or assisting someone who is. Currently, appointments are only available for Ontarians aged 80+. pic.twitter.com/x0qwtCZA9I

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) March 15, 2021

 

Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a social media message Monday morning that currently, appointments are only available for Ontario residents 80 and older.

Premier Doug Ford has urged those who don’t yet qualify for a shot to keep off the website so that it doesn’t crash.

Some of Ontario’s 34 public health units have already established their own systems for booking vaccination appointments, but the provincial portal will either enhance or replace those setups in many areas.

In addition to allowing vaccine-seekers to book their shots, the portal also provides instructions on how to schedule appointments based on protocols in place in each specific health unit.

Residents who are eligible to get vaccinated can book online at www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine, while those wishing to schedule by phone can call 1-888-999-6488.

But even as the vaccination drive ramps up, some regions of the province are still dealing with a troubling number of COVID-19 cases.

Sarnia-Lambton moved into the “Grey-Lockdown” stage of the province’s colour-coded pandemic response framework on Monday.

Lambton Public Health said the lockdown is a “declaration of emergency” after weekly case numbers rose sharply among residents under age 50.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley wrote to Ford on Monday, asking that in the future, any region moved into lockdown by the province should be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“It is a simple step your government can take immediately that would alleviate and diminish the distress as we enter the ”Grey Lockdown Zone” and give people here optimism and hope for the future,” Bradley said.