The Province of Ontario has decided to accelerate its plan for administering COVID-19 booster shots in light of the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant, revealing on Wednesday afternoon that eligibility would be expanded to more age groups even faster than the expedited rollout it shared just last week.

Third doses have so far been limited to only the elderly, immunocompromised, people who work and reside in certain settings and Indigenous populations, with the age bracket dropping to 50 and over just this past Monday.

But, Omicron has necessitated a change in strategy, with officials hinting for weeks now that they want to get more doses out to more of the public.

#BREAKING - Those 18+ will be able to get booster shots as of Monday, sources tell CityNews 680.

— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) December 15, 2021

It has now been confirmed that residents 18 and over will be able to get a booster starting Monday, December 20 — more than two weeks earlier than the new date for this age group revealed on Friday.

While the plan so far has been to limit boosters to those who have been fully vaccinated for at least 168 days and thus have the most waning immunity, all adults who received their second dose at least three months ago will be able to sign up for an additional jab through the province's online portal.

And, starting Friday, December 18, pharmacies and other providers are permitted to offer boosters to all eligible adults on a walk-in basis. The province will also be ramping up from about 40,000 immunizations per day to a whopping 200,000-300,000 based on demand.

BREAKING: Ontario shortens interval for #COVID19 boosters to 84 days from 168 to fight surging Omicron as 18+ can book starting Monday. "These vaccines will work and are the best way to prevent the worst," says Premier Doug Ford. #onpoli

— Rob Ferguson (@robferguson1) December 15, 2021

"As we combat the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, nothing matters more than getting these booster doses into people’s arms" Premier Doug Ford said in a media briefing on the topic today in which he issued a "call to arms" for everyone to take further action to protect themselves and others.

Meanwhile, the proposal to lift capacity limits as well as proof of vaccination requirements in some settings on January 17 has now been nixed, and additional public health measures are on the way just ahead of the holidays instead.

Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Keiran Moore said during a presser on Tuesday that restrictions such as sterner gathering limits may be returning, among others, while Premier Doug Ford announced a provincewide cut to 50 per cent capacity for indoor entertainment and sports vnues that hold more than 1,000 guests.

#BREAKING: Ontario is opening up boosters to 18+ as early as Friday - with walk-ins at participating pharmacies - and widely on Monday on the provincial site, in doctors' offices and pharmacies. Cutting interval between 2nd & 3rd dose for booster to 3 months. #onpoli

— Laura Stone (@l_stone) December 15, 2021

Some regions, such as Kingston and Greater Sudbury, have already taken it upon themselves to impose other more stringent rules in the midst of rising COVID-19 case counts.

The province saw 1,808 new infections on Wednesday, marking the highest daily figure since late May.