Premier John Horgan
Image Credit: flickr
March 18, 2021 - 1:17 PM
An estimated 300,000 frontline workers in B.C. can start booking appointments to get the AstraZeneca vaccine in April.
“We know how challenging this pandemic has been on our frontline workers," Premier John Horgan said in a news release issued today, March 18. “Many of these people have come to work throughout this pandemic, continuing to teach and care for our children, stock the shelves of our local grocery store and keep our communities safe."
Frontline workers include first responders (police, firefighters, emergency transport), teachers and staff in schools and childcare centres, grocery store workers, employees in manufacturing, wholesale/warehouse and correctional facilities, postal workers, bylaw and quarantine officers, cross-border transport staff and people living in congregate housing in places such as ski hills.
B.C. Teachers' Federation president Teri Mooring expressed relief on behalf of teachers and eduction workers. In a statement, Mooring said the last year has been incredibly stressful on everyone in the school system.
"Teachers, support staff, and other education workers have gone above and beyond every single day to make sure our students are safe. We have also done everything we can to make sure each other are safe," she said in the statement. "But, this virus has still found its way into our schools and classrooms. It has taken tens of thousands of education workers working in tough and stressful conditions to keep schools open, students learning, and parents working."
It’s expected 340,000 doses of the vaccines will arrive in B.C. by the end of May.
Details on how these people can book their vaccines have not been released yet. They’re asked to not call the phone lines set up in each region for people to book by their age groups.
Those 80 years and over, and Indigenous people over the age of 65 can book until tomorrow, March 19. Those 79 years old and Indigenous people over the age of 55 can start booking on Saturday, March 20 at noon.
Starting Monday, March 22, at noon, 78 year olds can start calling, with the call age dropping by one year each day following.
The number to call in the Interior Health region is 1-877-740-7747.
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