WATCH: Ontario accelerating 2nd COVID-19 vaccine doses in hotspot areas

Starting June 14, Ontario will be accelerating second doses for communities particularly hard hit by COVID-19 and its variants, particularly communities with the highest rates of the Delta variant (B.1.617), like the Timmins region.

Beginning 8 a.m. on Monday, those living in Delta hot spots in Halton, Peel, Porcupine (Timmins), Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units will be eligible for quicker second doses. This applies to those who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine on or before May 9.

Individuals in those communities who are eligible can book their second dose appointment through the provincial booking system (for people in Peel and Toronto public health units), directly through public health units that use their own booking system and through participating pharmacies. 

Primary care providers will be reaching out to book appointments, Ontario said.

As reported by TimminsToday.com, the Porcupine Health Unit region has already opened up second-dose eligibility for those who received an mRNA vaccine at least 28 days ago and who are age 16 and older.

As of June 10, Ontario reported more than 10.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to Ontarians. More than 73 per cent of adults in the province have now received their first dose of vaccine, and more than 11 per cent are fully immunized.