Churches play roll in COVID-19 vaccine rollout
More COVID-19 vaccine available for people 65 and older in West Palm Beach Share Updated: 7:57 PM EST Jan 13, 2021
More COVID-19 vaccine available for people 65 and older in West Palm Beach Share Updated: 7:57 PM EST Jan 13, 2021
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Show Transcript ROLLOUT. ANGELA. THAT S RIGHT. CHURCH OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE 500 DOSES AVAILABLE AND THEY RE ALREADY RECEIVING CALLS FROM CORAL SPRINGS, BELLE GLADE AND RIVIERA BEACH. THE HISTORIC TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH IS PART OF PALM BEACH COUNTY HISTORY FOR MORE THAN 125 YEARS. THIS WEEKEND, CHURCH OFFICIALS WILL PARTNER WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND PROVIDE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS ON SITE ON SATURDAY. IT S PART OF GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS PLAN FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. WE RE IN THE NORTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD AND THIS IS A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD AND A LOT OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday afternoon, of the more than 1.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines given to the state of Florida, only about 633,000 have been administered.
Palm Beach County’s health director pleaded with state lawmakers Thursday to use their political connections to ask the state and Gov. Ron DeSantis for more coronavirus vaccine doses.
At the rate the county health department is inoculating people, 500 per day, Dr. Alina Alonso said it could take “weeks to months” to sort out the thousands of appointment requests from seniors. Scheduling appointment times relies on vaccine supply.
“Please help us get more vaccine. Because if we do, instead of seeing 500 (doses administered), I can do 3,000. And then all of those people will get appointments,” Alonso said during a meeting of the local legislative delegation at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.