More than 4,000 Philadelphians received COVID-19 vaccine doses over the weekend at the 24-hour vaccination site hosted at the Liacouras Center.
The marathon vaccine clinic, run by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, attracted thousands of Philly residents, many of whom had to wait for hours in the icy temperature outside to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Organizers had previously advised participants to dress warmly in preparation for long queues in the cold weather.
People started showing up at around 09:00 on Friday for the vaccination website which according to the WHY ran from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. The line is wrapped for blocks around the arena.
“I was expecting a lot,” said Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. “I do not know that I expected it.”
The line at the Liacouras Center for the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium’s vaccination site, which runs 24 hours a day, revolves around the building several times. More than a thousand people are waiting in snow and freezing cold. People who arrived at 09:00 have yet to enter. pic.twitter.com/c7QXq4UKKh
– Ellie Rushing (@EllieRushing) 19 February 2021
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds stand outside the Liacouras Center waiting to be vaccinated by the black doctors COVID-19 consortium. The consortium offers a 24 hour clinic. It was vaccinated at noon and will close at 12:00 on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/kmo7asvOs0
– Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) 19 February 2021
The lines continued until 10:00 a.m. in the Liacouras Center at Temple University as people braved the cold to get their COVID-19 vaccine. The event, set up by the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium, delivered more than 3,000 doses within 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/L8LYTTxw75
– Marcus Espinoza (@ MarcusFOX29) 20 February 2021
A few hundred more are waiting in line on North Broad, but the line is significantly shorter than this afternoon. BDCC says they have fired twelve times since noon pic.twitter.com/yIHjZAKEnI
– Anna Orso (@anna_orso) 20 February 2021
According to KYW, the organization has issued approximately 200 doses of COVID-19 per vaccine. It had the ability to vaccinate 600 to 800 people every six hours.
The purpose of the event was to administer at least 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but on Friday night it was reached and exceeded. The clinic had to reach out to city officials to have thousands more doses of COVID-19 vaccine delivered in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The wax-a-thon was the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic to be offered in Philly. Vaccines are offered on a first-time basis, first-time basis and appointments are not required.
The clinic was open to all residents eligible under Phase 1B of the city’s vaccination plan. They also had to live in one of the 20 zip codes with the highest COVID-19 infection rates and deaths. All seniors from Philly 75 years and older were eligible regardless of zip code.
Participants had to bring documentation showing that they met Phase 1B criteria and lived in one of the following postal codes: 19104, 19119, 19121, 19123, 19124, 19126, 19131, 19132, 19138, 19139, 19140, 19141, 19142, 19143 , 19144, 19145, 19146, 19150, 19151 and 19153.
Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination plan in the city includes first responders, teachers and other caregivers of child care, food distribution and preparation workers, transportation workers, community care workers and residents, and people at high risk medical conditions.
People who attended the clinic were sorted into one of the four lines. One was for people 75 years and older. A second rule was for people who received their first doses but were previously registered for one. People who registered were asked to confirm the event.
A third rule was for people who did not register. The fourth rule was for non-English speakers. Spanish and Mandarin translators were located on the premises.
The clinic was aimed at increasing accessibility to COVID-19 vaccines among people who work long hours or have difficulty making an online appointment.
Each resident who received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose at the 24-hour vaccination clinic is scheduled to receive their shot in March at Deliverance Evangelistic Baptist Church in North Philly.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium plans to work with city officials and Temple University, home of the Liacouras Center, to decide whether to run another marathon vaccination clinic in the future, according to 6ABC.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium emerged near the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic to help people of color in Philadelphia. The group has worked with the city to deliver COVID-19 tests and vaccines.