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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite the fact that the city of Jacksonville asked people not to line up before 10 on Tuesday morning, hundreds of people waited for hours outside the Mandarin and Lane Wiley senior centers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine is available on Tuesday to the elderly, health workers and first responders with birthdays in March or April.
Both Monday and Tuesday, hopeful seniors began lining up before dawn at senior centers, which vaccinate Duval County residents 65 and older and front-line health workers not by appointment but by appointment. of the month of their birth.
On Tuesday, around the day, the line meandered over the property, with dozens of people 6 meters away, wearing masks.
“We expected a long line, so we wanted to be the first in line to get vaccinated,” said Arthur Llaga, a caregiver.
“With all my medical problems, I would be dead if I received it, as would my husband,” Terry Hill said.
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A few hours before the doors opened, 78-year-old Ray Gardner also arrived in a towed lawn chair.
“I plan to do a few more miles on foot, so this is a good way to do this and it’s easy, it’s great, you can go out and walk early in the morning,” Gardner said.
On Monday, people began lining up at Lane Wiley Senior Center on Westside and Mandarin Senior Center by 5:00 p.m. The scene was similar on Tuesday, as seniors ignored the city’s request not to show up before the downtown parking lot opens at 10 p.m. and they were allowed to queue early.
The city said Monday it is learning as it goes. They had said they would not allow anyone to line up until 10 a.m. Tuesday – an hour before the doors opened.
But that’s not how it went early.
“Unlike many other cities, we will not be draconians. I will not have police officers to physically remove people or remove the elderly, “Mayor Lenny Curry told The Morning Show on Tuesday. “The rule is not to line up before 10 o’clock. It is not necessary. However, those who are there and do it do so in a safe way. I understand that people are worried that they will not receive it, but again we met all the request yesterday and we will continue to work with people. ”
At one point, people were handed a ticket and told they could return later in the day when the line would be shorter.
“They made it a lot easier by doing this and that, so it’s good for everyone,” said Pat Brennan.
The city said there are nearly 1,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine available each day between the two sites as its efforts continue to vaccinate the most vulnerable.
Curry pointed out that the supply is provided by the federal government to the state and then through the state to the city. He said their first dose allocation was about 10,000 doses, and when they disappear, the city will have to wait for more offers before making more vaccines.
“The reason we asked the state to allow us to make distributions is that we demonstrated the ability to distribute things to people during COVID-19 in a safe, efficient and responsible way,” Curry said.
While vaccinations will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis (no appointment required), eligible residents should visit a vaccination site only on the day associated with their month of birth, in accordance with the following schedule:
- Monday – January and February
- Tuesday – March and April
- Wednesday – May and June
- Thursday – July and August
- Friday – September and October
- Saturday – November and December
These two vaccination sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, although the line will be discontinued at 6:00 p.m. or when the allocation for that day will be exhausted:
- Mandarin Senior Center, 3848 Hartley Road
- Lane Wiley Senior Center, 6710 Wiley Road
All patients must provide a photo ID showing the date of birth and proving the residence of Duval County. First responders and health workers should also bring a work badge.
Toilets inside the age centers will be available after the building opens for the day.
After administration of the vaccine, patients should remain on site for at least 15 minutes to be monitored for potential reactions by healthcare and emergency professionals. Based on your medical history, some people may need to wait 30 minutes. While allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, the city said, this safety measure is in place due to the abundance of caution. Patients will be able to choose to receive emails and text messages about the second dose.
To help ensure a safe and organized vaccination process, patients should follow these guidelines:
- Masks must be worn at all times.
- Physical distance requirements must be met at all times.
- People who feel bad should not go to a vaccination site.
- Only caregivers can accompany patients who need assistance at a vaccination site.
- Patients must park in designated parking areas; patients cannot be lowered.
- Parking and waiting in line overnight will not be allowed.
- Patients should follow traffic patterns and instructions from traffic monitors (is a map available at JaxReady.com/Virus?).
Patients must print and bring a complete DOH vaccine screening and consent form to the vaccination site. The form is available at COJ.net/CovidVaccineForm.
Between the two sites, the city hopes to vaccinate just under 1,000 people daily with the Pfizer vaccine – the mandarin will provide 500 vaccines a day, while up to 475 vaccines will be distributed at Lane Wiley, according to the city. When daily consumption has been exhausted, the remaining patients will have the option to return on the day assigned to the following week or to make an appointment with the Florida Department of Health for the Prime Osborn location.
Vaccinations are still scheduled at the Prime Osborn convention center, but the demand for appointments has exceeded supply – which is likely to continue in the near future. In response, the city announced last week that it is turning seniors’ centers into mandarin and Westside from COVID-19 test sites to vaccine sites.
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