My red state is still arguing over masks But it s not about COVID-19 anymore newsday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Oakridger
The Anderson County and Oak Ridge school systems are administering COVID-19 vaccines at events Friday for teachers, staff, substitutes and bus drivers.
“To have this available to our teachers will help them feel supported in their efforts to get back to their classes and return to more normal circumstances,” Holly Cross, supervisor of Career Readiness and Communications, told The Oak Ridger.
“It’s getting the vaccine to folks as quickly as possible and in a way that doesn’t inconvenience them,” Ryan Sutton, communications and public relations coordinator for Anderson County Schools, said in a phone interview. He said it would also help establish herd immunity.
Schools plan to vaccinate OR teachers, staff but when?
Oakridger
With the state now allowing teachers to get COVID-19 vaccines beginning Monday, officials with Oak Ridge Schools have been preparing how to give them.
Bruce Lay, Oak Ridge Schools executive director of school leadership, said the Tennessee Department of Health pre-approved Oak Ridge Schools to receive COVID-19 vaccines for staff.
The state has announced that kindergarten- through 12th-grade teachers and child care workers will be eligible for vaccines beginning Monday.
However, Lay said the school system was waiting to learn when it will receive the Moderna vaccines for the events the school system has planned.
Residents age 65+, teachers eligible for vaccines
Next Monday, Feb. 22, Tennessee will begin registering residents age 65 and older for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The state will also begin registering people included in Phase 1b, which includes staff members of kindergarten through 12th grade schools and child care facilities, including teachers; and first responder operations personnel.
Currently, Anderson and Roane counties are in phase 1a2, which includes first responders, medical professionals and people above the age of 70.
“Tennessee has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far, and we’ve made substantial progress in protecting our senior citizens who are over age 70 through vaccination,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey in a state news release. “While we remain focused on our seniors, who are the highest-risk population, we’re able to expand vaccine eligibility to these additional groups as our supply continues to grow each w