Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney held a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday afternoon. The health department hopes to get to the rest of phase 1B people by the end of this month.
Gov. Ralph Northam speaking during his COVID-19 briefing. (Screenshot from briefing)
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that the state will begin to vaccinate Virginians aged 65 and older as well as people 16 and older with preexisting conditions against COVID-19.
Northam said these groups will be moved to Phase 1b of the commonwealth’s vaccination rollout, which large parts of Northern and Southwest Virginia have already begun. The Richmond area is set to enter the phase on Monday.
Dr. Danny Avula, director of the Richmond City Health District and point person for the state’s vaccine rollout, said the expansion will give vaccine administrators the flexibility needed to meet the state’s goals.
The Virginia Department of Health announced Friday that some areas in Northern and Southwest Virginia will begin to vaccinate some essential workers and people over 75 years old.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that Avula, who serves as the director of the Richmond City Health District, will head the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
George Copeland Jr. | 12/31/2020, 6 p.m. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from Patricia Cummings on Tuesday. She and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were vaccinated at United Medical Center in Southeast Washington. It is the only public hospital in Washington and offers community-based services to area residents who are mostly African-American and have lower incomes than the rest of D.C. Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press/Pool
Local health officials announced a new initiative to help with management of the COVID-19 vaccines.
VAMS, or the Vaccine Administration Management System, is an online scheduling tool created by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure proper vaccine administration.