Ontario’s COVID-19 booking portal was launched on Monday, but some residents are experiencing long wait times and errors when trying to book an appointment.
One issue for residents in the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s (SMDHU) medical region is that some vaccination clinic locations in our region have not been loaded into the system. Listeners have told the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom that they were able to find the Bracebridge and Huntsville clinics on the portal but they were listed as unavailable.
SMDHU officials say the province is “troubleshooting” the problem and will have it fixed by the end of the day.
Users attempting to book through the portal have also experienced some errors including one saying the form they are trying to submit has been “tampered” with. While officials with our Health Unit don’t have a timeline for when that will be fixed, they say it’s been worked on by the province.
One user on our Facebook page noted that she had been on hold for two hours before hanging up, with another saying he hadn’t tried to book because there were “too many issues.”
Another user explained she was trying to book an appointment for her father. She said the wait time was about half-an-hour to get onto the site, then after filling out the needed information she was told there were “no appointments available for this area.” She said the portal thanked her for providing her information but did not give any details on it she needs to try again, or she’s been put on the waitlist and will be contacted when an appointment becomes available.
You can book an appointment through the province’s new portal by going to Ontario’s website. Only residents that are 80 or older (born in 1941 or earlier) are able to book an appointment now. SMDHU officials say you need to have your green photo health card, email address, and a modern web browser to be able to book an appointment. It’s also noted by health officials that you don’t need to register for an appointment if you’re already on the waitlist to get a vaccine.
Officials with the Health Unit suggest calling the provincial vaccine information line at 1-888-999-6488 to book an appointment. It’s open from 8 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Sunday.