A syringe of the COVID-19 vaccine waits to be administered in Toronto on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)

WINNIPEG — Manitoba is expanding the eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine to include the immunization of additional health-care workers.

Beginning in the new year, health-care workers who have direct contact with clients, patients or COVID-19 specimens in the following settings can receive the vaccine:

• Labs with COVID-19 specimens
• Child and family services or Community Living disABILITY Services group homes
• Paramedic and specialty medical transport teams
• Emergency placement, family violence and homeless shelters
• Correctional facilities
• Home care

The criteria for next week’s immunizations will remain mostly unchanged to include those in:

• Critical care
• Acute care
• Long-term care, including personal care homes
• A COVID-19 immunization clinic or testing site (expanded to include testing sites)

Once additional vaccine supplies are received in January, an estimated 15,000 residents of personal care homes, who are most at risk of serious and potentially life-threatening illness, will also become eligible to be immunized.

Super sites opening

The province’s first immunization super site is expected to open at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on January 4, followed by the Keystone Centre in Brandon on January 18 and at a customized site to serve the north, located adjacent to the Thompson airport, on February 1.

Manitoba expects to provide approximately 10,000 immunizations per week starting in January.

The province will open online immunization booking appointments in early 2021, but will maintain the current toll-free number for those without internet access.