Two locations in South Florida will be among several statewide worship centers that will begin providing the COVID vaccine to seniors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the locations Sunday in Lynn Haven, located on the outskirts of Panama City. Facilities include locations in Hollywood at the Koinonia Worship Center, as well as a location in Fort Lauderdale, New Mount Olive Baptist Church.
Other locations in the state include Lynn Haven, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa and St. Louis. Lucie. DeSantis added that the locations aim to administer the vaccine to those people who belong primarily to black communities across the state.
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“You see some of these big hospitals are starting to do a lot of vaccinations and we appreciate that,” DeSantis said in describing the different ways the state tries to vaccinate residents.
On Saturday, the state Department of Emergency Management said Florida expects to receive an additional 250,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines over the next week. To date, the state has received more than 1.2 million doses.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state now averages about 40,000 shots a day and is willing to increase that number when the state receives more federal government supplies.
“The demand for vaccine is high and we know there is no time to waste when it comes to getting gunshots,” DeSantis said in a statement released Saturday.
The state has made vaccines available to front-line health workers, staff and residents of long-term care centers and residences for the elderly and the elderly aged 65 and over.
“We have over 4.5 million seniors in the state and prioritizing them for the vaccine is the most effective tool we have to fight the pandemic,” DeSantis said.