WINNIPEG -- Walk-up COVID-19 vaccination appointments for the Moderna vaccine are now available at the Leila supersite in Winnipeg for anyone 18-years-old and up on Thursday and Friday.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, made the announcement Thursday during a media briefing with Premier Brain Pallister.

“Let's get the vaccine uptake and then we have some opportunity right now just on a walk-in basis for today and tomorrow at that Leila site if you're 18 plus,” said Roussin.

As of Thursday, 62.7 per cent of Manitobans over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine while that number is 58.3 percent for those over the age of 12.

“The more vaccine uptake we get, the more we're going to protect Manitobans (and) the sooner we're going to start being able to look at lifting these restrictions.”

News of the walk-up availability came during a news conference where the province announced new public health orders targeting gatherings, workplaces, and retail establishments, with the intention of reducing the spread of COVID-19.

During the conference, Dr. Roussin pleaded with Manitobans to follow the fundamentals of staying home, hand washing, and social distancing, while encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.

“These are all the steps that we can take right now to start bringing down our risks, so it's that collective action that we've all been working for so long forever, we need to continue to do it for longer,” Roussin said.

The site is open from9 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.