Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
Second home owners who spend a lot of time in Summit County can be vaccinated locally starting next week.
At a Summit County Board of Health meeting on Thursday, Jan. 7, Public Health Director Amy Wineland said the state’s award process for the new coronavirus vaccine changed this week to get part-time residents vaccinated.
The state is still in phase 1B on the vaccination distribution plan, which means that only people aged 70 and over, as well as those who are healthcare workers or first responders, are eligible.
So far, the allocation of vaccine doses in the country is based on the 2018 census data, Wineland said. Therefore, the province wanted to prioritize vaccinations for permanent residents.
The state does not hold the province to the census grant. The state can therefore vaccinate people who live in Summit County but do not have their permanent address there.
“We can now offer the vaccine up to 70 plus to our permanent residents and our part-time residents, including second home owners who have been here longer than 30 days and can ensure that they will be on second dose for another 30 days,” said Wineland.
Wineland said the province is still developing definitive documentation for who is eligible for the vaccine. However, the goal will be to focus on people who spend a lot of time in Summit County.
“We are really looking at who is a second home owner here, who can verify that they will be here for 60 days and that they are not vacationing here,” she said. “This is someone who is part of our community.”
County Vargo, provincial manager, said the goal is to avoid “graft tourism”.
‘What we are trying to do is reduce vaccine tourism, where we have people flying or driving up, whatever it may be, just to take advantage of an amazing vaccine system that (province) crews have put together here. in Summit County, ”he said.
With the country’s rapid spread of the vaccine, Wineland said the state would suspend its vaccine allocation once the entire population of more than 70 years was vaccinated. This means that essential workers will probably only be able to receive the vaccine in March, Wineland said on Thursday.
“We will continue to get vaccinated until the population (70 and older) is vaccinated,” Wineland said. “If we feel comfortable and confident that we’ve all got into the top three levels, we’ll be put off until the rest of the state is at that point.”
Meanwhile, the province continues to vaccinate as many people as it can. Brian Bovaird, director of emergency management, said the province was able to administer about 365 vaccines at the transit clinic in Frisco. Most of the patients who attended the clinic were in their 70s and older population, he said.
Wineland said the county is on track to administer all 800 doses it received at the beginning of the week at the end of the day on Sunday, January 10th. Next week, the country expects to receive 975 doses of Pfizer vaccine. she said.
At the beginning of the week, the country will announce when more appointments are available.
Summit County commissioners Elisabeth Lawrence and Thomas Davidson stressed during the meeting the importance of people still distancing themselves and wearing masks while awaiting their second dose of vaccination.
“I know the efficiency is very high, but it does not make seniors bulletproof,” Davidson said. “We really need to emphasize to these people that it does not mean you can go now to do everything.”