Canada has now surpassed the United States in terms of fully vaccinated residents.
According to data from the CTV News COVID-19 vaccine tracker yesterday afternoon, 48.8 percent of Canadians have been fully vaccinated against the virus compared to 48.1 percent of Americans.
Locally, Niagara Region Public Health is reporting 52.6 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated, while 68 percent have at least one dose.
During the early days of the vaccination effort, Canadians were critical of the vaccine rollout across the country as Americans were being vaccinated at a higher rate.
However, health professionals are still trying to reach people who have yet to receive a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as vaccination numbers begin to plateau across the country.
In St. Catharines the Seymour-Hannah mass vaccination clinic is offering walk-up appointments any time for people who want to get their first dose.
The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated Canada may ease travel restrictions at the Canada/US border if vaccination numbers continue to rise and other key health indicators remain on track, such as COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
During a discussion with premiers last week, Trudeau said Canada may set a target of mid-August to allow fully vaccinated Americans to freely cross the border once again.