Residents were disappointed with COSA’s registration process for the Covid-19 vaccine

San antonio Thousands of residents were disappointed on Saturday morning after learning that all 9,000 slots had been filled within minutes of trying to register online to get the Covid-19 vaccine at the Alamodome vaccination site.

“At 8:58, 8:59 I had coffee in my hand while sitting in front of my computer with my hands on the keyboard ready to log in,” said Arlene Converse, 71. “I logged in and the site did not want to load and then at about 9:02 it loads and then it loads, bam! The registration is immediately full. ”

According to city officials, the 9,000 available slots for next week were taken within six minutes of registration opening. More than 11,000 people were on the city’s registration website when it opened at 9 p.m.

The vaccination at the Alamodome will begin on Monday with the administration of the vaccines.

Converse was eligible to receive the vaccine after phase 1B was introduced on January 4th. She is struggling to get close to the vaccine.

“I was very ready and excited when I heard about this registration process,” Converse said. ‘I felt like they’d finally hit the nail on the head. This is what everyone wanted, but it also seemed like it was failing again. ”

She said it was an uphill battle going through the other stairs.

“We tried everything when they came up with the layout in San Antonio,” Converse said. ‘Nobody answers the phones. None of the sites will work. They are not set up for inquiries or registrations. Any phone call we made the week before failed. They were overwhelmed so they could not take all the calls and websites were not set up to answer questions. ”

Converse said she did have a moment of hope, but it also went south.

“I managed to get one person on the phone on Jan. 4,” Converse said. A real human being. Finding out, I was not a first answer, and they said I could not get it. I mention to the lady that on January 4th I was just as eligible as a first answer, but that they would not do it. It added more frustration. ”

Converse said her biggest problem is that there seems to be a lack of communication.

“We have no idea about the status of anything,” Converse said. ‘We are very disappointed because there is no one to talk to or to ask for information. I know some places are upset because people show up and queue without calling, but they do it because no one answers the phones. They are hoping to get information or possibly get the vaccination. ”

Converse said it was so important for her to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Getting the vaccine means I can get on with my life,” Converse said. “I just spent a year of my life in isolation. I have not been to my grandchildren yet. I spent Christmas alone. I did not go anywhere for Thanksgiving. I had a friend invite me, but I did not go. They convinced us so much that if we go anywhere, we’re so susceptible to the virus, it’s important for me to get on with my life to get back in touch with the people I care about and can see. they.”

She said she encourages everyone to try to get the vaccine as well.

‘Although many people are reluctant to get this vaccine, which I completely understand. I’m not excited about getting any vaccine, but I’m excited that we have the chance to get a vaccine that can get us back to a normal lifestyle. ”

Converse said she is particularly concerned about the elderly during this process.

“I work full time, I’m 71, I’m healthy and I’m a tech person,” Converse said. ‘But there are many elderly people who do not have the technical experience. They can not download apps on their phones or climb on the computer to log in. It then falls on their grandchildren, but it can be difficult because their family members have their own lives and jobs and what they have to worry about. Communication was broken. There has to be a better way to be able to register. ‘

As more vaccines enter the city of San Antonio and Bexar County, registration openings will become more available. For now, city officials are appealing to patients among residents as more vaccines become available.

“We received 187,000 calls and an overwhelming amount of visits to the site today at 9 a.m. today,” City Manager Erik Walsh said in a statement. “Thank you for your patience. We understand that some may be frustrated because there are no more doses available, but we are sending the message to state leaders that we are equipped to deliver every dose we receive. We look forward to to start our operation on Monday, and we will keep the community informed as we receive more information from the state. ”

Those eligible to receive the vaccines include health workers and residents at long-term care facilities, known as Phase 1A, and Phase 1B, which includes residents over the age of 65 or residents aged 16 and over with a chronic medical condition.

These chronic medical conditions include: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart conditions, solid organ transplantation, obesity and severe obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes.

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