Mass COVID vaccination site opening in Columbus, health department confirms. What to know
A new COVID-19 mass vaccination site is opening soon in Columbus.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced in a press conference Wednesday that five new mass vaccination sites will open March 17 in Bartow, Chatham, Muscogee, Ware and Washington counties.
Pam Kirkland, spokesperson for the West Central Health District, said the Columbus site will be located at the Civic Center. It will be FEMA funded and run by GEMA, identical to Georgia’s other mass vaccination sites.
Rob Landers, director of the Civic Center, said his staff works with the local health department to host a vaccination clinic whenever large amounts of doses are involved, but could not provide further comment on the upcoming GEMA site.
The nearest mass vaccination site to Columbus is nearly 90 miles away in Albany’s Dougherty County. The three other existing sites are located in Fulton County, Bibb County, and Habersham County. Each one has capacity to administer about 1,100 doses each day, or 5,500 per week.
“They’re targeting a thousand people a day (in Columbus),” Kirkland said. It’ll help the health department vaccinate the 19,000 Georgia residents that are currently registered and waiting for their first dose, she said.
With eligibility expanding next week, Kirkland said the county-wide collaboration between local providers, the health department and a new large-scale site will increase vaccine access.
“Hopefully (residents) won’t have to wait as long as people have been waiting since December,” she said.
Residents who want to be vaccinated at a GEMA-funded site must register through myvaccinegeorgia.com, even if they have already signed up with a local provider or health department. The Columbus location will be added to the website soon, Kirkland said.
Current eligible residents include:
- Those over 65 and their caregivers
- Healthcare personnel
- Long-term care facility residents and staff
- Law enforcement
- Pre-K through 12 educators and staff (Starting March 8)
- Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Starting March 8)
SITES OPEN NOW
- Delta Air Museum, 1220 Woolman Place SW, Hapeville, Georgia 30354
- Albany Georgia Forestry Site, 1150 Oakridge Drive, Albany, GA 31701
- Habersham County Fairgrounds, 4235 Toccoa Highway Clarkesville, GA 30523
- Macon Farmers Market, 2055 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, GA 31206
ADDITIONAL SITES OPEN MARCH 17
- Lake Point Sports Complex, Emerson, GA (Bartow County)
Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, GA (Chatham County)
Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, GA (Muscogee County)
Waycross Mall, Waycross, GA (Ware County)
Word of Life Church, Sandersville, GA (Washington County)
Visit myvaccinegeorgia.com for more information.
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 12:43 PM.
