East Toronto Health Partners and City of Toronto to open COVID-19 Mass Immunization Clinic in Thorncliffe Park Community Hub

As of March 24, ETHP will operate four COVID-19 immunization clinics in East Toronto. Local clinics are a key pillar of ETHP’s Immunization Plan to offer low-barrier access to the COVID-19 vaccine for residents as soon as vaccine supply and eligibility allow.

(March 23, 2021) Toronto, ON – Tomorrow East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto, and the City of Toronto will open a mass immunization clinic (MIC) at the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub located in the East York Town Centre. This location joins three other ETHP-operated immunization clinics in East Toronto, including:

• Michael  Garron Hospital (825 Coxwell Avenue) – Opened Dec. 22, 2020
• Warden  Hilltop Community Centre (25 Mendelssohn Street) – Opened March 8, 2021
• Jimmie  Simpson Recreation Centre (870 Queen Street East) – Opened March 15, 2021
• Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, East York Town Centre (45 Overlea Boulevard) – Opens March 24, 2021

The new clinic also complements three City-operated mass immunization clinics including: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto Congress Centre and Scarborough Town Centre. The City- and ETHP-operated clinics are part of a vaccination network that includes the City-operated clinics and hundreds of clinics operated by health sector partners including hospitals and pharmacies. A map of vaccination options in Toronto is available on the City’s COVID-19: Vaccine Clinic Locations webpage.

Vaccine availability is by appointment only. No walk-in appointments will be accepted.

Today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined ETHP at the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub to commemorate the imminent opening of the COVID-19 MIC. In addition, he shared that the Ontario government’s 2021 budget will include $3.7 million in funding to support transportation efforts that help seniors and people with disabilities access their vaccines.

This funding supports mobile vaccination clinics and other efforts already underway across Ontario, such as those by ETHP, that help make vaccines as accessible as possible.

“ETHP was one of the first to administer second doses to all eligible residents of long-term care and retirement homes in this area,” Premier Ford said. “They also launched a mobile clinic that administered vaccines to over 500 seniors and health care workers in high-risk settings over three days in February. And when this mass immunization clinic opens [in Thorncliffe Park] tomorrow, they have it set up to support our seniors. That’s vital because protecting our most vulnerable is our top priority.”

The Thorncliffe Park Community Hub mass immunization clinic expects to administer approximately 1,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on its first day of operations on Wednesday. The clinic is estimated to eventually administer about 10,000 doses per day in the 60,000 square foot space when vaccine supply allows.

Appointments for the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub MIC are available to those turning 75 years of age or older in 2021 by booking online at ontario.ca/bookvaccine or calling the provincial vaccine information phone line at 1-888-999-6488.

ETHP marks one year of community-based response to COVID-19

Today’s announcement was especially meaningful for ETHP as it was just over a year ago in December 2019 that its members gathered at the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub to announce ETHP as the designated OHT for East Toronto. Only three months later, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. In March 2020, ETHP sprang into action to forge a community and neighbourhood-based response to COVID-19 in East Toronto.

“ETHP has spent every day of this pandemic working collaboratively with more than 50 local organizations to offer East Toronto communities hardest hit by COVID-19 with increased access to testing, wraparound supports, social services, food security and more,” says Sarah Downey, president and CEO of Michael Garron Hospital and member of ETHP. “I am so proud to stand here with my ETHP colleagues to announce this mass immunization clinic which will bring our communities one step closer to the recovery journey from COVID-19.”

Opening a mass immunization clinic in the heart of Thorncliffe

The community of Thorncliffe, nestled between the east and west branches of the Don River and Eglinton Avenue, is a rapidly growing, multicultural neighbourhood. It is home to tens of thousands of people living close together in the community in high-rise buildings. COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on the neighbourhood, with high-density housing that makes it difficult to physically distance and stay home, a high volume of essential workers and often many families living with lower socio-economic status.

“By placing a COVID-19 mass immunization clinic in the heart of this neighbourhood, our hope is to reduce barriers such as location and transportation to make the COVID-19 vaccine as accessible as possible for individuals living in this community,” says Dr. Catherine Yu, family physician at Health Access Thorncliffe Park (HATP) and physician lead, East Toronto Family Practice Network, a member of ETHP.”

 “This is a major step forward in our vaccination efforts in Thorncliffe Park. The City of Toronto is proud to partner with East Toronto Health Partners – including Michael Garron Hospital – to open a mass immunization site at the East York Town Centre,” said Mayor John Tory.

“I want to thank the East Toronto Health Partners for leading in the effort to establish this clinic in Thorncliffe Park along with local Councillor Jaye Robinson and Toronto Public Health. Vaccinating our residents living in hard hit communities has been a priority for all of our partners involved in our vaccination efforts. This is just one of many initiatives the City has undertaken with our health partners and a true example of the Team Toronto effort underway to get shots in as many arms as possible as soon as possible, supply permitting.”

In addition to operating four COVID-19 immunization clinics, ETHP’s mobile vaccination outreach team continues to administer vaccinations in seniors’ congregate settings, shelters and dedicated pop-up clinics in family physician offices and community health centres. To-date, ETHP’s mobile vaccination outreach team has visited approximately 48 seniors’ congregate buildings and shelters.

About East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP)
East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto, is a group of more than 50 community, primary care, home care, hospital and social services organizations in East Toronto working together to create an integrated system of care across our communities. Collectively, ETHP is responsible for providing care and support to the 300,000 individuals who live in East Toronto communities, as well as an additional 75,000 clients who choose to receive health care in the local area. Clients, family members and caregivers are partners in every aspect of the development of ETHP, working together to improve the way East Toronto residents access and receive care. Visit ethp.ca to learn more.

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