Starting May 11th, the provincial vaccine rollout began permitting bookings for individuals who are prioritized in Phase 2, Group 2, which includes courts and justice system workers who cannot work from home.
Today, the MAG Recovery Secretariat provided the OBA with the following important information about lawyer eligibility under this category, and the process for members to access vaccinations:
- Professional services that support the legal and justice system are businesses that may remain open in a Shutdown Zone (see O.Reg. 82/20 - Schedule 2)
- The Phase 2 vaccine rollout category of “courts and justice system worker” includes lawyers providing these services, who cannot work from home in order to serve clients, including those who need to attend a workplace, regardless of setting.
- The MAG Recovery Secretariat encourage everyone to access their vaccine at the earliest opportunity that is presented to them, by their local public health unit.
- Vaccine rollout decisions are being made by public health units at the local level, based on a variety of factors including vaccine availability, and there will be some variance between region to region.
- Lawyers who meet the above criteria should connect with their local Public Health Unit (see below) for details about when and how to get their vaccine. If you don’t know which health unit you’re in, you can search here.
- Given the variance from region to region, the requirements for personal identification, if any are in place, will be defined by the local PHU. See MOHLTC document COVID-19: Guidance for Prioritization of Phase 2 Populations for COVID-19 Vaccination (page 20), for a list of sample IDs that could be requested by a local PHU, including a template personal attestation form where an individual can attest to their employment details.
- Individuals may be eligible to receive their vaccinations based on other eligibility criteria (for example: age, health conditions, local vaccine availability, or living in a hot spot). See the government’s Phase Two Schedule for COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Eligibility for an anticipated schedule to expand COVID-19 vaccine booking eligibility over the next month.
- A list of other resources is provided after the list of Public Health Units, to help members access their vaccines.
LIst of Ontario Public Health Units
Other Resources
General: Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccines webpage with information about prioritization groups and how to access a vaccine: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario
Find a Pharmacy: select pharmacies in Ontario are booking appointments for vaccines for eligible people ages 40 or older in 2021 : https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations
Provincial Vaccine Information Line : for general inquiries, call 1-888-999-6488. This line is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week and is capable of providing assistance in more than 300 languages
Booking by phone: make an appointment by phone or get assistance with booking. Call the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900 (TTY 1-866-797-0007). This line is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week and is capable of providing assistance in more than 300 languages
Booking online : book an appointment at a mass immunization clinic through the provincial online vaccine booking system if you: meet the eligibility criteria for your region; have a green photo health (OHIP) card; have an email address and/or a phone number (your own or someone helping you book your appointment); have a modern web browser (the booking site is not compatible with Internet Explorer 11 or earlier)
Vaccine Hunters Canada: resource helping eligible Canadians find vaccines: https://twitter.com/VaxHuntersCan