Premier Doug Ford and his minister of long-term care are set to make an announcement in Toronto this afternoon.
On Monday, the premier, who provides daily updates on Ontario’s response to the pandemic, released some details of the province’s new COVID-19 vaccine task force, which will be led by retired Gen. Rick Hillier, the former head of the Canadian military.
Ford called distribution of the vaccine a “massive logistical challenge” that could turn into a “logistical nightmare” without the right planning.
“We need military precision. We need the discipline that only a general can bring to this task,” Ford said of Hillier, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces between 2005 and 2008.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott has previously indicated that she expects the province to receive a combined 2.4 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines during the first three months of 2021.
Vaccine recipients will require two doses 21 days apart, meaning that the initial shipments will likely only be enough to protect about 1.2 million Ontarians.
Health Canada still needs to approve both vaccines but Elliott said planning for the early rollout of the province’s COVID-19 vaccine program is “well underway.”
“This task force will be made up of representatives from across our government and will include experts in operations and logistics, federal/ provincial relations, health care, public health and immunizations, ethics, information technology and data,” she said.
“They will be advising on the delivery, storage, and distribution of the vaccine, (and) support for health care system partners to deliver a phased vaccination program that will initially prioritize vulnerable populations followed by mass immunization.”
Today’s news conference is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live on CP24.com.
