Patience is the key if you’re trying to book your COVID-19 vaccine booster this week.

Starting today, residents of Ontario 18 years of age and over can reserve their booster through the provincial portalbecause it has been at least 84 days (three months) since receiving the second injection.

If you plan to make an appointment through the online portal, be prepared to wait. The number of people trying to book is high, and wait times of at least an hour are not unusual. Those who have booked say they receive meeting dates within a month.

Those who have attended a local immunization clinic offered by Sudbury & District Public Health also report quite long queues.

The province said on Wednesday it was expanding eligibility in a bid to strengthen defenses against the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Pharmacies were able to start offering the reminders to young adults on Friday, but Ontarians can now make an appointment through the province’s website or a local public health unit.

New public health restrictions are also in effect in Ontario, in a move Premier Doug Ford said was designed to protect against Omicron while the public receives recalls.

Starting Sunday, restaurants, retailers, gyms and other indoor facilities will only be allowed to open at 50% of capacity.

Indoor social gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, while outdoor gatherings can only have 25.

-With files from The Canadian Press