Chatham-Kent Public Health is adding more COVID-19 clinics and expanding the vaccination area in the Bradley Centre in Chatham to accommodate more people.
The eligibility for booster shots has been lowered to those 18 and older starting on Monday.
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said the goal now is to concentrate on third doses and those who are unvaccinated will have to wait.
"It's very hard to play catch up with the unvaccinated, they missed the bus,' said Colby. "We're putting our money on Bradley. We're looking to expand from the main area to set up in the Ballroom as well. We're going to do everything we can to get this done. We're gearing up right now and adding clinics all the time."
He added the vaccination clinics are not currently accepting walk-ins and appointments are needed.
Colby also said more vaccination personnel are being recruited to deal with the influx of people wanting the boosters.
He said the vaccine supply is stable and this massive vaccination effort will the most intense since the pandemic started. However, the doctor said the public health unit is up to the challenge.
"We're going to have to vaccinate more people in a shorter period of time than at any point in our vaccination campaign," Colby said.
Chatham-Kent Public Health reported one new outbreak on Thursday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Wallaceburg. The school has two cases. There are a total of 10 outbreaks in the municipality.
The health unit also reported 18 new cases and 19 resolved cases to bring the number of active cases down to 143.
Colby said a few of the cases lately have been associated with cross-border trips to Michigan. The doctor is also considering halting organized sports over the Christmas break because he said sports are a definite means of spreading the virus and is waiting to see if the province will be doing something to that regard.
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) reported nine COVID-19 patients are in the hospital and six of them are not vaccinated. CKHA President and CEO Lori Marshall said four of the patients are in the ICU and all four of them are on ventilators.
Marshall said the hospital situation is steady at the moment and staff are poised for what's to come, but she's worried about what's to come because cases are again surging across the province.
"This is what's keeping me up at night. I worry about what may still be to come," said Marshall.
Dr. Colby is again emphasizing that hospital capacity is the driving factor for restrictions. He's urging people to consider two small holiday gatherings rather than one large one. Colby said the Omicron variant is so contagious because it's so efficient at reproducing in the cells of respiratory tracts.
"It goes like wildfire if you get a few virus particles that manage to infect your respiratory tract," he said. "Instead of saying what could I get away with here under the current rules, optimize everything within your power to keep yourselves, your family, and your friends safe. That would be my wish for everyone at Christmas."
On Thursday, Ontario reported 2,421 new cases of COVID-19, the highest number in several months, and Colby is surprised the province hasn't announced more restrictions. He anxiously awaits them because they're more effective in lowering cases than the regional approach.
