North Philadephia To Get FEMA-Run Mass Vaccine Site

Philadelphia PA

30 March, 2021

1:58 PM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise in Philadelphia and the Center City Vaccination Center's time nears an end, the city announced another federally-supported vaccination clinic will open soon. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley Tuesday said a new site will open at Esperanza Academy Charter School, 301 W. Hunting Park Ave., late next week or early the following week. The Center City Vaccination Site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is set to close in four weeks, but Farley said the city requested the site remain open. There is no word on if the site's time will be extended. Farley said this site will be supported by FEMA, the National Guard, and staff from the Health Department and Office of Emergency Management. The site won't be as high volume as the site in the convention center, but it will vaccinate at least 1,000 people per day. Farley said the school is in the 19140 ZIP code, which is the most under vaccinated ZIP code in the city and in the center of the city's most under vaccinated areas. He went on to say the area has a high Hispanic population, and said Hispanics are the most under vaccinated group in the city. The site will be open for at least eight weeks. Vaccines will be administered at the site by appointment and walk-ins. However, details on scheduling appointments and getting access to the site have not been released yet. Those who have appointments will enter the site at 5th Street and Hunting Park Avenue. Farley announced the new site as cases and hospitalizations are rising in the city. Tuesday's figures saw 713 new cases, bringing the total case count to 123,489. Between March 21 and March 27, the city had a daily average of 488 new cases and a 6.8 percent positivity rate, which is up from the week prior with 427 average daily cases and a 6.3 percent positivity rate. Farley said those average daily cases and positivity rates have nearly doubled in the last month. Coronavirus hospitalizations in the city have more than doubled in just a few weeks, as well. As of Tuesday, 429 people are being treated for coronavirus in Philadelphia hospitals, and 44 of those patients are on ventilators. The lowest number of patients in Philadelphia hospitals was 203 on March 7. Farley said increasing hospitalizations are a sign the virus is hitting vulnerable people. Eight more death were reported Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 3,359 total.