Greensboro picked by feds for large-scale COVID-19 vaccine site
The federal government announced plans Friday to pilot the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site in Greensboro.The site, Community Vaccination Center, which plans to operate seven days a week for eight weeks, would be capable of administering about 3,000 shots a day, and up to 21,000 doses a week.The site will be located at the Four Seasons Town Centre shopping mall, located at 410 Four Seasons Town Centre, and is expected to be up and running by March 10.”It’s a great day for Guilford County,” said Skip Alston, Chairman of the Guilfrod County Board of Comissioners. Alston said he and other elected leaders have been working for weeks to advocate for more COVID-19 vaccination resources to come from the federal and state governments to Guilfrod County. He said Guilford County is located in an idea location for a mass vaccination site because of its accessibility from surrounding counties.”We’re going to make sure we welcome (FEMA) with open arms,” he said by Zoom Friday afternoon. “The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply, which will be in addition to North Carolina’s weekly allotment from the Centers for Disease Control.Another pilot site is being launched in Chicago.The White House said it will deploy federal teams immediately to work with state and local jurisdictions with the vaccine distribution.Officials said the site will act as a “hub” with additional supporting vaccination centers — or “spokes” — reaching nearby communities. “Spoke” locations will be determined by the state. “Spokes” from the Greensboro location may be fixed or mobile centers, depending on the state’s decision. The site was identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. The tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The index takes into consideration critical data points, including socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation. “We know that a lot of marginalized communities can’t get through on computers, book appointments or get through online,” Alston said. “It puts the African American community, minorities communities and marginalzied communities at a disadvantage.”Site considerations for the Four Seasons Town Centre location included adequate parking and access to public transportation. The Greensboro Transit Agency public transportation system serves the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem areas. The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.North Carolinians will be able to schedule appointments at the site through the state and local vaccination scheduling portals, and eligibility requirements will mirror those of state and local requirements. “This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.The Community Vaccination Center will also feature options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service in the space formerly occupied by Dillard’s department store. To reach more marginalized and underserved communities, the main vaccination center at Four Seasons Town Centre will support additional sites and mobile vaccination clinics in communities of need across the Piedmont Triad. Alston said efforts to reach underserved communities will continue through efforts with churches and other community groups.”Thousands of North Carolinians will be able to access vaccines as result of this local, state, and federal partnership,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said. “We appreciate everyone working together to focus on getting vaccines to our underserved communities.”
The federal government announced plans Friday to pilot the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site in Greensboro.
The site, Community Vaccination Center, which plans to operate seven days a week for eight weeks, would be capable of administering about 3,000 shots a day, and up to 21,000 doses a week.
The site will be located at the Four Seasons Town Centre shopping mall, located at 410 Four Seasons Town Centre, and is expected to be up and running by March 10.
“It’s a great day for Guilford County,” said Skip Alston, Chairman of the Guilfrod County Board of Comissioners.
Alston said he and other elected leaders have been working for weeks to advocate for more COVID-19 vaccination resources to come from the federal and state governments to Guilfrod County. He said Guilford County is located in an idea location for a mass vaccination site because of its accessibility from surrounding counties.
“We’re going to make sure we welcome (FEMA) with open arms,” he said by Zoom Friday afternoon. “
The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply, which will be in addition to North Carolina’s weekly allotment from the Centers for Disease Control.
Another pilot site is being launched in Chicago.
The White House said it will deploy federal teams immediately to work with state and local jurisdictions with the vaccine distribution.
Officials said the site will act as a “hub” with additional supporting vaccination centers — or “spokes” — reaching nearby communities.
“Spoke” locations will be determined by the state. “Spokes” from the Greensboro location may be fixed or mobile centers, depending on the state’s decision.
The site was identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. The tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event.
The index takes into consideration critical data points, including socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation.
“We know that a lot of marginalized communities can’t get through on computers, book appointments or get through online,” Alston said. “It puts the African American community, minorities communities and marginalzied communities at a disadvantage.”
Site considerations for the Four Seasons Town Centre location included adequate parking and access to public transportation.
The Greensboro Transit Agency public transportation system serves the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem areas.
The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.
North Carolinians will be able to schedule appointments at the site through the state and local vaccination scheduling portals, and eligibility requirements will mirror those of state and local requirements.
“This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.
The Community Vaccination Center will also feature options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service in the space formerly occupied by Dillard’s department store.
To reach more marginalized and underserved communities, the main vaccination center at Four Seasons Town Centre will support additional sites and mobile vaccination clinics in communities of need across the Piedmont Triad.
Alston said efforts to reach underserved communities will continue through efforts with churches and other community groups.
“Thousands of North Carolinians will be able to access vaccines as result of this local, state, and federal partnership,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said. “We appreciate everyone working together to focus on getting vaccines to our underserved communities.”
The post Greensboro picked by feds for large-scale COVID-19 vaccine site appeared first on Chop News.
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