BARRIE -- It was another busy day at the vaccine clinic on Sperling Drive in Barrie on Wednesday afternoon as dozens of frontline workers lined up waiting to roll up their sleeves.

According to Operations Lead Stella Johnson, the clinic is seeing up to a thousand patients a day.

"That's means about a hundred and ten to a hundred and twenty people per hour," she said outside of the clinic on Wednesday.

Most people getting their vaccine at this clinic are long-term care staff, health care workers, and now - first responders, including paramedics.

Simcoe County Paramedic Chief Andrew Robert says on Friday, he learned his employees would be receiving the vaccine. By Wednesday, about 70 per cent of Simcoe County's paramedics had received their first dose.

"We're really happy that they'll be safe," said Robert. "They'll be able to keep their patients safe, and that we'll be able to keep them at work."

According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, more than 36,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered, with more than 15,000 people now fully immunized.

The health unit is also making important headway with vaccinations for seniors.

Ninety-two per cent of long-term care home residents have had both doses of the vaccine, and 87 per cent of residents in retirement homes have received their first.

As of Saturday, every retirement home in the region had started the immunization process.

"We note that to be a very important milestone," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Charles Gardner. "We need to be protecting the residents at these facilities."

On Wednesday, the province announced it would be launching its online portal to allow the general population to schedule a vaccine appointment starting March 15th, starting with seniors over 80.

"For us, that means moving into that next phase of immunization and opening up booking for that next group of patients," said Johnson.

Simcoe Muskoka will start by vaccinating people over the age of 85.

"That's a very large population," explained Gardner. "So focusing this point on those 85 and above, to begin with, at the beginning of March, and then moving on from there."

On Monday, March 1st, the health unit will open up at least six more immunization clinics in the region. The specific locations, who can register, and how to do so will be released on Thursday, February 25th.