Memorandum to:
Chairs of District School Boards
Directors of Education
School Authorities
From:
Stephen Lecce
Minister of Education
Nancy Naylor
Deputy Minister of Education
Subject:
COVID-19 Vaccine updates: Province-Wide Eligible Education Staff
Building on the current vaccination roll-out for education staff who support students with complex special education needs and staff in hot spot areas in Toronto and Peel, we are pleased to share that, beginning May 6, 2021, remaining eligible education staff province-wide will be eligible to register for vaccination appointments.
Eligibility:
Education staff eligible to book vaccination appointments include any school board staff or student transportation partners who typically work in-person in elementary and secondary schools. Examples include: educators, custodial staff, administrative staff, and school bus drivers.
Timing and Registration:
Registration for vaccine appointments for education workers who meet the eligibility criteria above will begin no earlier than May 6, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.
Education staff who are in a PHU using the provincial booking system can visit the provincial website to book online or can call the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900 to book their appointment. Staff may be asked identifying questions, such as the school in which they work. For more information please direct staff to How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
PHUs not using the provincial booking system will reach out to school boards directly to provide information on specific instructions for staff to book vaccinations. A list of these PHUs has been included below.
Please ensure education staff do not call the provincial booking system, attempt to book an appointment online, or through their PHU until May 6, 2021, as they will be unable to secure an appointment prior to this date.
For general inquiries, individuals can call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1-888-999-6488.
It is important to note that local PHUs are responsible for managing and overseeing the distribution and administration of vaccines for their entire region and are required to take multiple factors into consideration including local context and available supply of vaccine. As such, timing of the booking of appointments and administration of vaccines for education staff may therefore vary for reasons beyond the PHU’s control (e.g., vaccine supply).
This represents general guidance from the province, and school boards are encouraged to confirm specific arrangements with their local PHUs.
Please encourage your staff to be patient during this period, as it could take time to receive an appointment. While education staff will now have the eligibility to book an appointment, this announcement does not prioritize the group ahead of others who are also currently eligible.
We ask that your staff continue to monitor public service announcements in their communities to determine whether they may be eligible to register for a vaccine based on other eligibility criteria. Visit How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for more information.
We would like to thank you for your continued efforts to date in supporting vaccination efforts for the education sector.
Sincerely,
Stephen Lecce
Nancy Naylor
Minister
Deputy Minister
c:
President, Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario (ACÉPO)
Executive Director, Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario (ACÉPO)
President, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques (AFOCSC)
Executive Director, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques (AFOCSC)
President, Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA)
Executive Director, Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA)
President, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA)
Executive Director, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA)
Executive Director, Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE)
President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)
Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)
President, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
General Secretary, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
General Secretary, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
President, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF)
General Secretary, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF)
Chair, Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW)
Chair, Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario (EWAO)
President of OSBCU, Canadian Union of Public Employees – Ontario (CUPE-ON)
Co-ordinator, Canadian Union of Public Employees – Ontario (CUPE-ON)
Executive Director, Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO)
Executive Director, Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario (CPCO)
Executive Director, Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC)
Appendix:
Public Health Units not using the provincial call centre
Bureaux de santé publique locaux n’utilisant pas le centre d’appel provincial
1. Lambton Health Unit / Circonscription sanitaire de Lambton
2. North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit / Bureau de santé du district de North Bay-Parry Sound
3. Sudbury and District Health Unit / Service de santé publique de Sudbury et du district
4. Timiskaming Health Unit / Bureau de santé de Témiskamingue
5. District of Algoma Health Unit / Santé publique Algoma
6. Chatham-Kent Health Unit / Bureau de santé de Chatham-Kent
7. Durham Regional Health Unit / Bureau de santé de Durham 8. Halton Regional Health Unit / Bureau de santé de la région de Halton
9. Windsor-Essex County Health Unit / Unité sanitaire de Windsor-comté d’Essex
10. Brant County Health Unit / Bureau de santé du comté de Brant
11. Middlesex-London Health Unit / Bureau de santé de Middlesex-London
12. Porcupine Health Unit / Bureau de santé Porcupine
13. Southwestern Health Unit / Bureau de santé du Sud-Ouest
14. Huron Perth Public Health / Circonscription sanitaire de Huron et Perth
15. York Regional Health Unit (excludes Cornell clinic) / Service de santé de la région de York (à l’exclusion de la clinique du Cornell Community Centre)
16. Renfrew County and District Health Unit / Bureau de santé du comté et du district de Renfrew
17. Waterloo Health Unit / Bureau de santé de la région de Waterloo
18. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit / Bureau de santé de Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
