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Published 15:08 IST, March 2nd 2021

Toronto vaccinates police officers before those 80 or above

A Toronto police spokesperson said Monday police constables and sergeants who respond to emergency calls where medical assistance may be required have been moved to the current phase by Ontario’s provincial government.

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Canada’s largest city has started vaccinating police officers ahead of people 80 years of age and older.

A Toronto police spokesperson said Monday police constables and sergeants who respond to emergency calls where medical assistance may be required have been moved to the current phase by Ontario’s provincial government.

A police spokesperson said 2,250 of Toronto’s nearly 5,000 officers are eligible.

The Ontario provincial government has said those 80 and above will start getting vaccinated in the third week of March, but some regions of the province have already started vaccinating those residents while the province sets up a website to make appointments. York region, a suburb of Toronto, has set up a website allowing for online bookings and Halton, a suburb to the west of Toronto, is also about to do so.

Authorities haven’t said which essential workers will be vaccinated but police started to get doses Monday. Dr David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer, said the list has not been finalized.

Teachers have returned to in-class learning but have not been vaccinated.

Ontario and Canada started vaccinating health care workers and the elderly in long-term homes starting in December but there's been a shortage of vaccines until now. But many Canadians are not expected to be vaccinated for months. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes to vaccinate all Canadians who are eligible by the end of summer.

Updated 15:08 IST, March 2nd 2021

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