Waterloo Region essential workers who can’t work from home can now pre-register for COVID-19 vaccine

The Region of Waterloo says all essential workers who can’t work from home can now pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine.

A news release on Wednesday explained that the province has identified two groups of essential workers who cannot work from home.

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The first group, such as teachers and food manufacturing workers, had already been invited to pre-register for a vaccine, but now this second group can do so as well.

Here is the list of essential workers in Group 2 that can sign up for a shot:

• Essential and critical retail workers, including grocery, food bank and non-clinical pharmacy workers, ServiceOntario workers, ServiceCanada and Passport Canada workers, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant and LCBO workers
• Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction including infrastructure, and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and spread
• Social workers and other social services staff providing in-person client services, including youth justice workers, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program case workers
• Courts and justice system workers, including probation and parole workers
• Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers, including public transit workers, truck drivers supporting essential services, marine and rail cargo and maintenance, and highway maintenance
• Electricity, including workers employed in systems operations, generation, transmission, distribution and storage
• Communications infrastructure workers, including cellular, satellite, landline, internet and public safety radio
• Financial services workers (bank branch staff)
• Veterinarians and veterinary teams
• Waste management workers
• Oil and petroleum workers, including those working in petroleum refineries; those involved in the storage, transmission and distribution of crude oil and petroleum products; and those needed for the retail sale of fuel
• Natural gas and propane gas workers, including those working in the compression, storage, transmission and distribution of natural gas and propane
• Mine workers, including those needed to ensure the continued operation of active mines
• Uranium processing workers (those working in the refining and conversion of uranium, and fabrication of fuel for nuclear power plants

The region said it may take four to six weeks to be contacted for an appointment, but everyone is encouraged to pre-register now and when they receive a notification to book an appointment, to do so right away.

More information on how to pre-register for a vaccination through the region’s health unit can be found on its website.

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Residents over the age of 40 can also receive an AstraZeneca vaccine at some primary care offices and certain pharmacies in Waterloo Region.

Most pharmacies are booking appointments and some even allow walk-ins.

More information on how to go the pharmacy route can be found on the Ontario government’s website.

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