Supplies going fast at drive-thru COVID vaccination clinics in Saskatchewan

Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Saskatchewan were popular places Thursday.

The clinic at Regina’s Evraz Place opened at noon — and stopped accepting any more cars at 12:15 p.m.

The #Regina COVID-19 Immunization Drive-Thru line up has stopped accepting additional cars as of 12:15 pm May 20. If you’re in line in front of the @CityofRegina truck, you will be vaccinated today.
The Regina drive-thru site will reopen tomorrow (May 21) at noon. pic.twitter.com/ThkST6GQDy

— Saskatchewan Health Authority (@SaskHealth) May 20, 2021

The drive-thru, which started accepting people 12 years and over on Thursday, was to be open until 7:30 p.m. Instead, it’s to reopen for new clients Friday at noon.

The drive-thrus in Saskatoon and Lloydminster also closed early. Saskatoon’s clinic opened its doors at 8:30 a.m., and closed at 1:45 p.m. Lloydminster’s was open from 9 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.

#Saskatoon, you’re blowing us away! We had another busy morning & we’ve now CLOSED the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination line to any new cars 🚙 as of 1:45pm May 20. #StickItToCOVID

We’ll be back at 8:30 am Fri. Check other walk-in/drive-thru sites here: https://t.co/zRaTZ5gN4B pic.twitter.com/9uYMOYlKLn

— Saskatchewan Health Authority (@SaskHealth) May 20, 2021

The #Lloydminster COVID-19 Immunization Drive-Thru line has CLOSED as of 12:45pm May 20. Great to see such excitement & enthusiasm! Site opens Sat May 22 at 9am. Check the other walk-in & drive-thru sites, & the latest wait time updates: https://t.co/4fCSCK86qL #StickItToCOVID pic.twitter.com/ozGZ96p5FB

— Saskatchewan Health Authority (@SaskHealth) May 20, 2021

Scott Livingstone, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, told reporters during a media conference the issue with the early closures is connected to supply.

The authority shares its supply with other organizations that are doing vaccinations, such as participating pharmacies.

“We have committed to opening up the drive-thrus as much as we can with as much vaccine that we have available,” Livingstone said. “The good news is … one, the drive-thrus are popular. Two, we see lots of young folks and lots of people coming in to get their doses.

“As we move forward, we’ll try to expand drive-thrus as much as we can with available doses as we wind down some of our booked appointments and focus on kids (including in its school-based immunization program), but also focus on more of a regular cadence with having the drive-thrus open.”

Livingstone saw the early closures of the drive-thrus as a double-edged sword.

“(We) understand the frustration when people come by the drive-thru and it’s full,” he said, “but the other side of it is, it means thousands of residents in the province are choosing to get vaccinated.”

Everyone 12 and over in the province is eligible to get their first dose of a COVID vaccine at a drive-thru or walk-in clinic or at a participating pharmacy or by booking an appointment online or by phone.

As well, people 85 and over or who received their first shot before Feb. 15 are eligible to arrange for a second dose. Those shots also can be administered at a drive-thru or walk-in clinic, at a pharmacy or at a vaccination clinic run by the SHA.