Disneyland has been closed since the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in March, and the company has done so. furloughed tens of thousands of employees. Now, the theme park will become the first mass vaccination site in Orange County, California, as the state faces records COVID-19 deaths.
Government officials announced late Monday that Disneyland will be the county’s first “Super Point-of-Dispensing” (POD) site when operations begin later this week.
“Disneyland Resort, the largest employer in the heart of Orange County, has stepped up to host the county’s first Super POD site – taking on a monumental role in our vaccination distribution process,” said Andrew Do, acting president, Orange County Supervisor. first District, said in a statement.
The county plans to open more Super POD sites soon, with five regional sites having the capacity to vaccinate thousands of people daily – making the vaccination process much more efficient.
“The coronavirus has brought both a public health crisis and an economic devastation,” said Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu. “With this great site, we will begin to overcome both. Every vaccination done in Anaheim will help save lives and accelerate the reopening and recovery of our city.”
Echoing the process in most of the United States, vaccines in Orange County are distributed through a step-by-step, tier, law enforcement, and first responder approach. Now residents over the age of 75 are also eligible to receive the vaccine.
Those who meet the criteria must make an appointment at a Super POD site to be vaccinated, officials said.
Orange County has a population of about 3.1 million people. According to county data, more than 190,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus since the pandemic began.
“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and Anaheim with the use of our property and we are grateful for all their efforts to combat COVID-19,” said Dr. Pamela Hymel, Medical Director, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products , CBS News reported. “After a year in which so many in our community have faced unprecedented difficulties and uncertainties, there are now reasons for optimism about administering a vaccine.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday the state will step up its efforts to coronavirus vaccination this week, while opening mass vaccination sites at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and Cal Expo in Sacramento. The state reported a record number of deaths caused by COVID-19 over the weekend.
Newsom said the state’s goal was to vaccinate another 1 million people by the end of the week.