Community Corner
City Of Arlington Expects To Complete First 3,000 Coronavirus Vaccinations By Thursday
The City will resume online and in-person registration for eligible at-risk groups as soon as future COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrive.
December 30, 2020
Jack Adams, a 75-year-old Arlington resident with diabetes, rolled up his sleeve as one of the first 3,000 people to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at the Arlington Fire Department’s vaccination site.
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“At my age and with my underlying condition, I see an urgency in trying to protect myself. I had no reservations at all,” Adams said about getting the Moderna vaccine on Wednesday. “It’s the only solution we’ve got.”
The Arlington Fire Department started vaccinating front-line healthcare providers, first responders, people over the age of 65 and people over the age of 16 with underlying health conditions from across East Tarrant County on Tuesday, following the state and federal priority vaccination list and in coordination with Tarrant County Public Health. Arlington firefighters and American Medical Response, the City’s contracted ambulance provider, can vaccinate between 100 and 200 people per hour at the vaccination site, set up inside a large exhibit hall at Esports Stadium Arlington + Expo Center.
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The public’s demand for the vaccine has been high. The City’s first 3,000 allotted doses from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services are expected to be depleted by Thursday, said Fire Chief Don Crowson, and online registration for vaccination appointments has been temporarily halted. The City will resume online and in-person registration for eligible at-risk groups as soon as future COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrive, Crowson said. Information on vaccine availability will be updated on the City of Arlington’s website, www.arlingtontx.gov, and the Arlington Fire Department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Spring 2021 is the best estimate of when the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the general public, depending on vaccine production and how quickly other vaccines become available, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
“Hopefully by spring or early summer we will see our community getting back to the way it used to be and we are excited about that,” Crowson said.
Tena Ward said she was excited and “quite relieved” to receive her COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday. She encourages others to also receive the vaccine when possible to help protect the health of the community.
“I would say get your tail in here. It wasn’t painful,” Ward said. “In the long run, it’s going to help everybody out, the more people who get it.”
This press release was produced by the City of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
