Child-care workers in licensed child-care settings across the province will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment starting Thursday, Ontario’s ministries of health and education announced Tuesday morning. The announcement comes nearly three weeks after the province expanded vaccine eligibility to include teachers and other education workers, but not those working in child care, leading to protests within the sector. The province said eligibility will be expanded to child-care workers in unlicensed child-care settings “in the coming weeks.”Alana Powell, executive co-ordinator of the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, said it’s unfortunate child-care workers were not prioritized alongside teachers earlier this month. “Ontario’s child-care workers are making a difference and supporting working parents at this critical time,” he said in a news release about the expanded eligibility. The inclusion of child-care workers for priority vaccine access comes as the province also expands eligibility at mass vaccination sites to those 45 and older living in one of 114 high-risk neighbourhoods.

Source: thestar April 27, 2021 15:56 UTC