Montgomery County to open coronavirus vaccine clinic in Willow Grove | News

NORRISTOWN — Because the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues in Montgomery County, officers introduced the county Workplace of Public Well being is making ready to open a 3rd mass vaccination website and the brand new website can be in Willow Grove.

“However the precise timing relies on getting extra vaccine. This website can be situated close to the Willow Grove Mall. We’re optimistic we will open this third vaccination website subsequent week,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh revealed throughout a information briefing on Wednesday. “The capability of this website is giant.”

Officers estimated they might probably administer between 4,000 and 5,000 first doses of vaccine a day after which when the time comes, on the similar location, administer the identical variety of second doses, for a full capability of near 10,000 doses per day.

“We’re constructing it for that stage of capability…realizing that extra vaccine is coming and we would like to have the ability to say ‘sure’ to each dose provided to us and we can be prepared for it when it comes,” Arkoosh defined.

“If we’re in a position to open up subsequent week, it is going to be with a lot, a lot, a lot lower than that. Most likely, if we get sufficient vaccine, we’d be capable to do one thing alongside the traces of 500 individuals a day. We’ll see, possibly we’ll be pleasantly stunned and we’ll get extra vaccine subsequent week. I wish to be very clear, it’s a supply of vaccine situation,” Arkoosh cautioned, referring to the present restricted provide of vaccine coming from the state.

Presently, the county Workplace of Public Well being operates two vaccination websites.

The county beforehand opened a vaccination clinic at Norristown Excessive Faculty to serve those that have appointments to obtain their second doses of the vaccine.

These receiving their first dose of the vaccine are at present being served at a clinic hosted by the Montgomery County Group School campus in Whitpain.

“Our two mass vaccination clinics stay on monitor and have been absolutely operational this week with each first and second dose clinics,” Arkoosh mentioned. “We proceed to stay versatile to offer each the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at our clinics and when the state is able to present us with Johnson & Johnson vaccine we can be prepared.”

Federal officers accepted a one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine earlier this week.

Arkoosh didn’t rule out establishing vaccination websites in different geographic areas of the county, together with the western area.

“Completely, and people plans are within the works. As quickly as I’ve particulars I’ll share them with you,” Arkoosh mentioned.

Appointments are required to obtain the vaccine. All these eligible for the vaccine in Section 1A can pre-register to obtain the vaccine by the county well being division. The pre-registration hyperlink will be discovered at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 below the inexperienced vaccination data button.

Residents who don’t have web entry can name the county’s COVID-19 hotline at (833) 875-3967 to attach with a volunteer who can help them in pre-registering for a vaccine. Callers ought to let the agent know they want assist in pre-registering for a vaccine appointment. Cellphone pre-registration for vaccine appointments is on the market Monday by Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. As well as, the hotline has language line assist for over 100 totally different languages.

“Since final week, we have now pre-registered over 500 individuals by cellphone, most of who have been over the age of 65. There is no such thing as a want for callers to have a legitimate e mail deal with or web entry,” mentioned Arkoosh, who thanked the 180 volunteers who’re manning the telephones to assist the vaccine effort.

As of Wednesday, a complete of 185,512 county residents have pre-registered for a vaccine, both on-line or by the hotline.

“Presently, and relying on while you registered, it might be as much as 12 weeks earlier than you hear again from us about scheduling an appointment with our present charge of provide,” Arkoosh defined.

The Pennsylvania Division of Well being reported on Wednesday that 43,710 county residents had obtained the complete two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, through the ongoing Section 1A of the state’s vaccine distribution program. One other 88,432 residents had obtained the primary dose of the vaccine, in line with state information.

Each the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to realize optimum safety.

The state counts embody all vaccines administered by any supplier within the county, along with the county Workplace of Public Well being. Based on the state figures, about 19% of the eligible inhabitants within the county has obtained at the very least one dose of the vaccine.

“So that’s nice progress. Not as quick as any of us wished however it’s good to be getting near that 20% mark,” Arkoosh mentioned.

In the meantime, officers reported on Wednesday that 105 further individuals examined constructive for the virus, bringing the entire variety of constructive circumstances to 47,193 since March 7, 2020, when the primary two circumstances of the virus have been recognized within the county. Officers mentioned one of many each day new circumstances was a person who resided in a long-term care facility.

Officers additionally reported another COVID-19 loss of life on Wednesday, bringing the county’s loss of life toll to 1,232 for the reason that virus surfaced within the county final March.

The general 14-day COVID-19 positivity charge for the county, as of Feb. 25, was 5.47% which was a lower from the 6.12% positivity charge recorded through the earlier 14-day interval ending Feb. 18, in line with county information.

Well being officers consider having a positivity charge lower than 5% signifies a county is controlling the unfold of the virus and maintaining it suppressed. Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 25, the each day positivity charge did fall beneath 5% on six days.

“That’s nice progress. Sustain the nice work. We’re not out of the woods but, however we’re clearly transferring in the fitting course,” Arkoosh addressed county residents.

Arkoosh, who was joined on the information briefing by fellow Commissioner Kenneth Lawrence Jr., suggested residents to proceed with mitigation measures resembling carrying masks and social distancing.

On Wednesday, 121 people with COVID-19 have been hospitalized within the county’s 9 hospitals, down from 154 final week, and 21 of the present sufferers required ventilators. Comparatively, final Oct. 1, there have been solely 24 sufferers hospitalized with COVID-19.

“Once more, transferring in the fitting course however we nonetheless have a strategy to go earlier than we’re down into that section the place we will really feel like we solidly suppressed this virus, as we did from June proper up till simply earlier than Halloween,” Arkoosh mentioned.

County officers added testing continues to be obtainable for all county residents and people who work within the county and need or should be examined. The county has established outside walk-up testing websites in Pottstown, Norristown, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Ardmore and Inexperienced Lane to accommodate those that wish to be examined.

The six county-run websites present self-administered exams for free of charge, though insurance coverage can be billed in case you have it. The websites do require an appointment for testing.

The six websites are open Monday by Friday, climate allowing and at various hours. Identical-day appointments will be made weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. by visiting www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 and clicking on the county testing data button. Residents may register for a check at any of the six websites by calling 610-970-2937 starting at 8:30 a.m. each day.

In Pottstown, the testing website is situated on the county’s Workplace of Public Well being Pottstown Well being Middle at 364 King St.

In Norristown, a testing website is situated on the parking zone of the Delaware Valley Group Well being Norristown Regional Well being Middle at 1401 DeKalb St.

In Lansdale, a testing website is situated at 421 Most important St. One other testing website is situated at Deep Creek and Snyder roads within the Inexperienced Lane Park space.

In Ardmore, a testing website is situated at 114 W. Lancaster Ave. In Willow Grove, a testing website is at First Baptist Church – Crestmont, 1678 Fairview Ave.