More than 4,000 Philadelphians received doses of COVID-19 vaccine this weekend at the 24-hour vaccination site hosted at the Liacouras Center.
The marathon vaccine clinic, operated by the COVID-19 Black Doctors consortium, drew thousands of Philly residents, many of whom had to wait in line at cold temperatures outside to be inoculated against the coronavirus. Organizers had previously advised participants to dress warmly, preparing for long queues in cold weather.
People began showing up on Friday from 9 a.m. for the vaccination site, which ran from noon Friday to noon Saturday, according to WHYY. The line wrapped for blocks around the arena.
“I expected a lot,” said Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the COVID-19 Black Doctors consortium. “I don’t know what to expect.”
The line from the Liacouras Center for Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium 24 hours a day, the walking vaccination site wraps around the building several times. There are over a thousand people waiting in the snow and cold. People who arrived at 9 o’clock in the morning have not yet entered. pic.twitter.com/c7QXq4UKKh
– Ellie Rushing (@EllieRushing) February 19, 2021
IT HAPPENS NOW: Hundreds are staying outside the Liacouras Center and waiting to be vaccinated by the COVID-19 consortium of black doctors. The consortium hosts a 24-hour clinic. Vaccination of people began at noon and will end on Saturday at noon. pic.twitter.com/kmo7asvOs0
– Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) February 19, 2021
The lines continued until 10:00 this morning at the Liacouras Center at Temple University, while people faced the cold to vaccinate their COVID-19. The event, set up by the Covid-19 Black Doctors Consortium, delivered more than 3,000 doses in 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/L8LYTTxw75
– Marcus Espinoza (@ MarcusFOX29) February 20, 2021
A few hundred more are waiting in line on North Broad, but the line is significantly shorter than this afternoon. BDCC says they gave 2K photos at noon pic.twitter.com/yIHjZAKEnI
– Anna Bear (@anna_orso) February 20, 2021
The organization issued about 200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine per hour, according to KYW. It had the capacity to vaccinate 600 to 800 people every six hours.
The goal of the event was to administer at least 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but that number was reached and exceeded by Friday night. The clinic had to address city officials to receive thousands of other doses of COVID-19 vaccine given early Saturday morning.
Vax-a-thon was the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic to be offered in Philly. Vaccines were offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and no appointments were required.
The clinic was opened to any eligible resident under phase 1B of the city’s vaccination plan. They also had to live in one of the 20 postcodes with the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates. All Philly seniors over the age of 75 were eligible, regardless of zip code.
Participants had to bring documentation showing that they met the criteria of phase 1B and lived in one of the following postal codes: 19104, 19119, 19121, 19123, 19124, 19126, 19131, 19132, 19138, 19139, 19140, 19141, 19142 , 19143, 19144, 19145, 19146, 19150, 19151 and 19153.
Phase 1B of the city’s COVID-19 vaccination plan includes first responders, teachers and other child care providers, food distribution and preparation workers, transit workers, care workers and residents, and people with medical conditions. high risk.
People who participated in the clinic were classified in one of four lines. One was for people over 75 years old. A second line was for people receiving the first doses, but previously registered for one. People who registered were asked to confirm the event.
A third line was for people who did not register. The fourth line was for those who do not speak English. Translators in Spanish and Mandarin were found on the spot.
The clinic aimed to increase the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines among people who work long hours or had difficulty setting up an online meeting.
Each resident who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the 24-hour vaccination clinic was scheduled to receive the booster shot in March at Evangelical Baptist Delivery Church in North Philly.
The COVID-19 Black Doctors Consortium plans to work with city officials and Temple University, home of the Liacouras Center, to decide whether another walking marathon vaccination clinic will take place in the future, according to 6ABC.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium was formed near the onset of the coronavirus pandemic to help black people in Philadelphia. The group worked with the city to provide COVID-19 tests and vaccines.