Restaurant workers to be vaccinated as part of Phase 2, government officials say

Province-wide restaurant workers will get the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2, government officials confirm to 680 NEWS.

On March 5, Ontario officials released a list of eligible people for the COVID-19 vaccine during this phase.

This stage will see shots administered based on risk factors including age, neighbourhood, existing health conditions, and inability to work from home.

NEW – Restaurant workers will get the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2, government officials confirm to 680NEWS.

— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) March 22, 2021

The province is planning on vaccinating nine million people in Phase 2 and the updated plan does not include the recently approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The province has split up workers into different categories including the following:

Those who live and work in congregate settings

All at-risk staff, essential caregivers, and residents from the following congregate settings will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine:

• Supportive housing
• Developmental services/intervenor and supported independent living (SIL)
• Emergency homeless shelters
• Other homeless populations not in shelters
• Mental health and addictions congregate settings
• Homes for special care Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters and Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) residents
• Children’s residential facilities
• Youth justice facilities
• Indigenous healing and wellness
• Provincial and demonstration schools
• Farmworkers who live in congregate settings, including Temporary foreign workers, Bail beds and Indigenous bail beds
• Adult correctional facilities

 

Essential workers/those who can’t work from home

Workers who can’t work from home will be vaccinated in two groups encompassing a variety of sectors. These include elementary and secondary school staff – as well as bus drivers – food manufacturing workers, childcare workers, and high-risk and critical retail workers such as grocery and pharmacy.

The second group will be eligible once the first group has been vaccinated.

First group of essential workers (730,000 people):

• Elementary/secondary school staff and bus drivers that transport students
• Workers responding to critical events (e.g., police, fire, compliance, funeral, special constables)
• Child care workers
• Licensed foster care workers
• Food manufacturing workers
• Agriculture and farm workers

 

Remaining workers to be eligible (1.4 million people)

• High-risk and critical retail workers (grocery and pharmacies)
• Remaining manufacturing workers
• Social workers (including youth justice)
• Courts and justice system workers (including probation and parole)
• Lower-risk retail workers (wholesalers, general goods)
• Transportation, warehousing, and distribution
• Energy, telecom (data and voice), water and wastewater management
• Financial services
• Waste management
• Mining, oil, and gas workers

 

After Phase 2 is completed, everyone between the ages of 16 and 59 will be eligible for their first dose.

As part of Phase 2 of the rollout, the province will see vaccine shipments ramp up throughout March, with the most significant coming from Moderna.

Though non-committal on the matter, Retired Gen. Rick Hillier said mass-vaccinations could begin on June 20, depending entirely on vaccine supply in the coming months.

“Our aim is to allow the province of Ontario to have a first needle in the arm of every eligible person who wants it by the first day of summer,” he said. “That’s the challenge goal I put out there.”