Vaccine demand in Windsor doubles after passport announcement

Mass vaccination clinic at Devonshire Mall (Michelle Maluske / CTV Windsor)

Windsor, Ont. -

Demand for a COVID-19 vaccine shot up in just one day, following Premier Doug Ford's decision to implement a vaccine passport system.

"We went from an average of about 500 (doses) a day," says Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj before Wednesday. "We got just under 1,000 yesterday (Thursday). Why? Because the Province announced vaccine passports."

He says the demand for first doses is even greater.

The vaccination clinic at Devonshire Mall was seeing an average of 200 people for first doses in the last few weeks.

After the announcment, first dose demand shot up to 500 first doses, according to Musyj.

Musyj says they're focusing their attention now on people who need one final nudge to get a shot.

"There is a segment of the population, just like there is a segment of our workforce, that that's what they just need. I have to do this because I have to keep my job. I have to do this because I wanna go to a restaurant. Because I wanna go to a gym. Because I wanna go to a movie theatre." says Musyj.

Effective Sept. 22, Ontarians will need to show proof of vaccination or valid exemption, to go to restaurants, gyms and movie theatres.

Windsor Regional Hospital, along with the four others in our Local Health Integration Network, also announced Friday they will require all staff to be fully vaccinated or they could be sent home on unpaid leave or could have their employment terminated.