More than 4,000 Philadelphians received doses of COVID-19 vaccine this weekend at the 24-hour walking vaccination site that was housed at the Liacouras Center.
The marathon vaccine clinic, which was operated by the Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium, attracted thousands of Philly residents, many of whom were forced to wait in line for hours in the cold temperatures. outside to be inoculated against the coronavirus. Organizers had previously advised attendees to dress warmly to prepare for long cooked in cold weather.
According to WHYY, people started showing up at 9 a.m. Friday toward the foot vaccination site, which ran from noon on Friday to noon on Saturday. The line wrapped in blocks around the sand.
“I was looking forward to it,” said Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium. “I don’t know what to expect.”
The line of the Liacouras Center for Black Doctors of the consortium’s COVID-19 consortium, open 24 hours a day, surrounds the building several times. There are more than a thousand people waiting under the snow and cold. People who arrived at 9 a.m. have not yet entered. pic.twitter.com/c7QXq4UKKh
– Ellie Rushing (@EllieRushing) February 19, 2021
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds are outside the Liacouras center awaiting vaccination by the COVID-19 consortium of black doctors. The consortium hosts a 24-hour clinic. He started vaccinating people at noon and will finish Saturday at noon. pic.twitter.com/kmo7asvOs0
– Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) February 19, 2021
Lines have continued until 10 a.m. this morning at Temple University’s Liacouras Center as people faced the cold to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The event created by the Black Doctors Covid-19 consortium gave more than 3,000 doses in 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/L8LYTTxw75
– Marcus Espinoza (@ MarcusFOX29) February 20, 2021
There are still several hundred waits on North Broad, but the line is significantly shorter than this afternoon. BDCC says they have been giving 2K shots since noon pic.twitter.com/yIHjZAKEnI
– Anna Bear (@anna_orso) February 20, 2021
The organization issued about 200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine per hour, according to KYW. It had the capacity to vaccinate 600 to 800 people every six hours.
The goal of the event was to administer at least 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but that number was reached and exceeded on Friday night. The clinic had to contact city officials to get thousands more doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday morning.
The “vax-a-thon” was the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic to be offered in Philly. Vaccines are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and should not be mentioned.
The clinic was open to any eligible resident 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 and mortality rates. All Philly seniors age 75 and older were eligible regardless of zip code.
Attendees had to bring documentation proving that they met the criteria of Phase 1B and lived in one of the following zip 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 city’s COVID-19 vaccination plan includes first aid, teachers and other child care providers, food distribution and preparation employees, traffic workers, workers and congregated residents, and people with high-risk medical problems.
People who attended the clinic were classified into one of four lines. One was for people 75 years of age or older. A second line was for people who received the first doses, but who had one previously registered. People who had registered were asked to provide confirmation for the event.
A third line was for people who had not registered. The fourth line was for those who do not speak English. Spanish and Mandarin translators were on site.
The clinic aimed to increase the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines among people who work long hours or have had difficulty making an online appointment.
All residents who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the 24-hour vaccination clinic have been scheduled to receive their booster shot in March at the Evangelical Baptist Church of the delivery in North Philly.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium plans to work with city officials and Temple University, the headquarters of the Liacouras Center, to decide whether another marathon vaccination clinic will be held in the future, according to 6ABC.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium was formed near the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic to help people of color in Philadelphia. The group has partnered with the city to provide testing and vaccines against COVID-19.