Photo: Jonathan Moore/Tennis Canada
On Wednesday, it was announced that “Vax The Northwest”, Toronto’s latest mass vaccination event, will be hosted at Sobeys Stadium, the home of Tennis Canada and the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, on Sunday, January 23. For one day only, Vax The Northwest will be serving more than 1,000 COVID-19 vaccinations at the facility, which is located at York University.
“Lending the Sobeys Stadium tennis facility for the Vax The Northwest clinic aligns with the values of Tennis Canada,” commented Tennis Canada President and CEO Michael Downey. “It is critically important we give back to our local community so partnering with the City of Toronto, York University and Black Creek on this important initiative was an easy decision. Since our Sobeys Stadium hosts the world-renowned National Bank Open presented by Rogers every August, we look forward to providing some tennis-related added value on January 23.”
Vax The Northwest is focused on vaccinating people of all eligible ages from Northwest Toronto neighbourhoods, with a focus on neighbourhoods with lower vaccination rates. In Toronto as a whole, 87 per cent of people age 12 and older have now received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. While some northwest neighbourhoods – including York University Heights – are keeping pace with the rest of the city, Black Creek is three percent below, Glenfield Jane Heights is seven per cent below and Westminster Branson is 12 per cent below the city average of people age 12 and older who have received two doses of vaccine.
Team Toronto is ready to rally and committed to vaccine equity and growing vaccination momentum within Northwest Toronto communities. Vax The Northwest will be administering the Grand Slam of COVID-19 vaccination: first, second, third and children’s (paediatric) doses of vaccine. The clinic will take place in the Sobeys Stadium’s 35,000-square-foot Centre of Excellence from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 23. More information on booking appointments online or by phone will be available in the coming days. Community health partners and ambassadors will also be reaching out directly to members of the community to help book appointments.
The Vax The Northwest team is distributing translated information in languages including Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Russian to the community to promote the event, remove barriers to vaccination and encourage people to get vaccinated. Team Toronto is also reaching out to Black, newcomer and undocumented populations in neighbourhoods close to York University through community agencies and established COVID-19 Vaccine Engagement Teams and ambassadors.
Vax The Northwest has been made possible by a partnership between the City of Toronto, Toronto Public Health, Humber River Hospital, University Health Network (UHN), Black Creek Community Health Centre, Unison Community Health Centre, Tennis Canada and York University.
More information about vaccination options in Northwest Toronto neighbourhoods and across the city is available on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage.
More details about Vax The Northwest media opportunities will be shared closer to January 23. Anyone looking for the latest updates is encouraged to follow #VaxTheNorthwest for updates from Vax The Northwest partners and @CityofToronto, the City’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/cityoftoronto.
