New group of Virginians able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination in Virginia is just around the corner.

Starting Monday, parts of the state community will move on to Phase 1B of their vaccination plan. This opens the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 75 and workers in essential high-contact professions, including:

• First responders, including police officers, firefighters and raw material workers
• Workers in prisons or shelters for the homeless
• Teachers and daycare workers
• Employees in food and agriculture
• Grocery store workers
• Public transport employees
• Mail carriers, which includes both U.S. postal service and private mail services

“We want to be efficient and have a large number of vaccines,” said Dr. Noelle Bissell, New River Valley health director. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a long tunnel, so don’t get excited yet.”

While the list of people who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine is relatively exclusive, Bissell hopes to open it to everyone as soon as he can.

“We hope our goal is in late spring, that we can vaccinate everyone, or at least in the summer,” Bissell said. “This is a real-time thing; it’s amazing that the vaccine is developing so fast. “

The new vaccines come amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in Virginia. The state has reported more than 5,000 cases each day over the past five days, including a record 5,789 cases on Saturday.

“The vaccine is more important than ever right now,” Bissell said. “If we can slow down transmission, this is where we will see the end of the pandemic.”

You can learn more about the New River Valley vaccination plan at this link.