Coronavirus vaccination registration now available to all Quebecers aged 70 and above

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Quebec is expanding its mass COVID-19 inoculation campaign to any person aged 70 and older in all areas across the province.

Lowering the minimum age for registration, which came into effect late Tuesday night, comes as the government aims to vaccinate as many seniors as possible.

Prior to that, vaccination was available to anyone 70 and up in the Montreal region, which has been hard hit by the novel coronavirus health crisis.

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READ MORE: Quebec to expand vaccination to people 65 and up in Montreal area: health minister

While the rollout has been mostly focused in Montreal, the province is looking to ramp up the pace in the coming weeks. Health Minister Christian Dubé also said Tuesday that the goal is to open registration for people 65 and older in that region this week.

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Quebec has administered 581,028 doses since the vaccine became available in December. The first stage prioritized giving a first shot to residents in long-term care homes and seniors’ residences, which bore the brunt of the first wave of the pandemic.

The focus was also on vaccinating health-care workers on the front lines and getting the first dose to residents in remote regions.

In late February, the province announced it was going to start inoculating members of the general public — starting with seniors and other vulnerable groups.

With files from The Canadian Press

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