Vaccine rollout expands Tuesday to more essential workers and those with ‘at-risk’ health conditions

Starting Tuesday, more essential workers and residents with specific health conditions will be able to book their COVID-19 vaccines online.

On May 11 at 8 a.m., Ontario's booking portal will open to people with health conditions considered at-risk." That includes:

• Immune deficiencies and auto-immune disorders;

• Stroke and cerebrovascular disease;

• Dementia;

• Diabetes;

• Liver disease;

• Any type of cancer;

• Respiratory diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy;

• Spleen problems, such as asplenia;

• Heart disease;

• Hypertension with end organ damage;

• Diagnosed mental disorder;

• Substance use disorders;

• Sickle cell disease;

• Thalassemia;

• Immunocompromising health conditions;

• Other disabilities requiring direct support care in the community.

The province says health-care practitioners will use their best medical judgment" to inoculate patients with health conditions not listed, such as rare diseases, that may put them at the same or higher risk than the ones listed.

Also newly eligible will be group two" of people who can't work from home. That includes:

• Essential and critical retail workers (e.g. grocery, food bank, pharmacy, ServiceOntario, ServiceCanada, Passport Canada, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant, LCBO workers);

• Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction (including infrastructure) and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and spread;

• Social workers and social-services staff who provide in-person client services (e.g. youth justice workers, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program case workers);

• Courts and justice system workers (including probation and parole workers);

• Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers (e.g. public transit workers, truck drivers supporting essential services, marine and rail cargo and maintenance, highway maintenance);

• Electricity (including system operations, generation, transmission, distribution and storage workers);

• Communications infrastructure workers (including cellular, satellite, land line, internet, public safety radio);

• Water and wastewater management workers;

• Financial services workers such as bank branch staff;

• Veterinarians and their teams;

• Waste management workers;

• Oil and petroleum workers (including petroleum refineries, crude oil and petroleum storage, transmission and distribution, retail sale of fuel);

• Natural gas and propane gas workers (including compression, storage, transmission and distribution);

• Mine workers (including those needed to ensure the continued operation of active mines);

• Uranium processing workers (those working in the refining and conversion of uranium and fabrication of fuel for nuclear power plants);

Starting Thursday at 8 a.m., anyone turning 40 in 2021 will be able to book their vaccine online.

To book, eligible groups should visit ontario.ca/bookvaccine or phone the province at 1-833-943-3900. More information on booking is available on The Spectator's FAQ page.

Maria Iqbal's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories focused on aging issues. Reach her via email: miqbal@thespec.com.