Scotiabank Arena, home of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, set a world record yesterday (Sunday) as it delivered almost 27,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in a single day.
A total of 26,771 locals received a vaccination at the arena as part of Toronto’s ‘Our Winning Shot’ initiative. It is believed the total marks a new world record for the most one-day COVID-19 vaccinations given at a single clinic.
Toronto Mayor John Tory was among those who were given a jab, receiving his second dose of the vaccine at the arena yesterday morning. A total of 978 first doses were administered, with 25,793 second doses given out.
The City of Toronto said that 25,746 adults and 1,295 youth were vaccinated, with immunisers giving an average of 1,785 vaccinations per hour. The Canadian record of 10,470 single-day vaccinations was surpassed at 2:21pm local time yesterday, with the North American record of 17,003 doses surpassed at 4:58pm.
25,000 doses
— Scotiabank Arena (@ScotiabankArena) June 28, 2021#TorontoVaccineDay @MLSEPR @MGHToronto @scotiabank @cityoftoronto pic.twitter.com/bVqMdPPzEy
The event also saw 50 vaccine recipients given tickets to an upcoming Raptors or Maple Leafs game. The clinic was made possible through a partnership between the City of Toronto, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Scotiabank, University Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital, with 1,500 staff and volunteers on hand throughout the day.
Mayor Tory said: “Toronto Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena is a huge success and demonstrates the progress Team Toronto is making getting people vaccinated. Thank you to our dedicated partners along with all the staff and volunteers who worked to make sure today was a winning shot in our fight against COVID-19.
“And thank you to the thousands of Toronto residents who stepped forward today to get either their first or second shot and set a record in the process. I continue to encourage all Toronto residents to get fully vaccinated so we can bring this pandemic to an end.”
The arena will continue delivering vaccinations today, with eligibility for accelerated second doses expanding to all adults who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at least eight weeks ago or a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least 28 days ago. More than 35 per cent of Toronto residents have now received their second dose of the vaccine.
The Raptors, the NBA’s only Canadian team, have not played at Scotiabank Arena since February 28, 2020. The Raptors spent the 2020-21 season at Amalie Arena, home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions between the US and Canada. The Maple Leafs have been able to play at Scotiabank Arena after receiving the green light from the Ontario government.
Image: Paperfire/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
