Official: Virginia will meet Biden’s May 1 vaccine goal
By Associated Press | Published Mar. 13, 2021 9:30 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia officials said Friday that the state expects to meet or possibly exceed President Joe Biden’s commitment to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1.
“As we look at the supply and the pace and the demand here in Virginia we really think we will easily meet that May 1 marker and potentially even outpace it by a couple of weeks,” state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said in a briefing with reporters.
Avula also said the May 1 goal won’t require the state to rethink its distribution strategy.
“It hasn’t changed anything for us,” he said.
The state has administered over 2.5 million doses of vaccine, with 19.5% of the population having received at least one dose, according to health department data.
All parts of the state have opened up vaccine eligibility to a second phase of people that includes frontline essential workers and people 16-64 with an underlying medical condition.
Avula said he thinks that second phase, referred to as 1b, can be completed by mid-April, or sooner in some parts of the state. Health districts would then move into a third phase of eligibility that will cover other essential workers at their own pace, he said.
Jeffrey Zients, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, told reporters Friday that May 1 is an “absolute deadline” and that the nation will have enough supply between the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to give shots to all adults by the end of that month.
(All contents © copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Northam announces expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine
By SARAH RANKIN and ALAN SUDERMAN
By Associated Press | Published Jan. 15, 20214:30 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia officials announced changes Thursday that significantly expand the pool of people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine as they also outlined plans for mass-vaccination clinics to speed up the pace of inoculations.
Gov. Ralph Northam said at a news conference in Richmond that the state would follow new federal guidance from President Donald Trump’s administration that urged states to immediately start vaccinating people who had previously been lower down the priority list.
Newly included in what’s called Phase 1b of the state’s distribution plan are people age 65 and older and younger people with certain health problems that make them more vulnerable to the virus.
“This means about half of Virginia is now eligible to receive the vaccine. That’s a major logistical effort, and it is not going to happen overnight,” said Northam, who also used the news conference to announce new guidance aimed at getting more public schools open for in-person instruction.
Demand for the vaccine is still expected to outpace supply, so not everyone newly eligible will be able to get a shot immediately.
The state is currently receiving about 110,000 doses per week, Northam said.
Dr. Danny Avula, who was recently tapped by the governor to direct the state’s vaccine rollout efforts, said Virginia would be introducing fixed-site mass vaccination centers that would be open six or seven days a week to help meet the eventual goal of vaccinating 50,000 people a day.
Residents can expect “movement” on mass-vaccinations sites as soon as next week, he said, adding that more vaccines will also be available in the coming weeks through private providers and pharmacies.
Only some parts of the state in northern Virginia, southwest Virginia and the Eastern Shore have moved into phase 1b so far.
Health districts in the rest of Virginia are still working to vaccinate the health care workers and long-term care facility residents in 1a.
But Northam said all health districts would be there “by the end of the month” and asked for patience as the state works through the complicated logistics.
“We need people to get this vaccine.
It is our only way out of this pandemic,” he said.
On schools, Northam said the state’s education department was issuing new guidelines on restarting in-person learning.
The governor said the state’s new policy is: “schools need to be open, and here are the ways to do that safely.”
The guidelines are not mandates and individual school districts will still have final say in how they operate.
Virginia currently has a patchwork approach, with some public and private schools offering in-person learning while others offer only virtual school.
Northam also said that he was looking at eventually adjusting school calendars so that schools operate year-round, instead of taking lengthy summer breaks.
Officials also addressed concerns about possible civil unrest in the capital city over the weekend or in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Northam said public safety officials were well prepared to prevent any violence and the Virginia National Guard would be available to provide support if necessary.
“If you come here and act out, Virginia will be ready,” Northam said.
(All contents © copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Northam outlines new Coronavirus vaccine plans
By ALAN SUDERMAN and SARAH RANKIN
By Associated Press | Published Jan. 7, 2021 12:29 p.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is urging hospital systems to move quickly to administer coronavirus vaccines, saying the state will now implement a “use it or lose it” policy designed to speed up distribution of the shots.
“No one wants to see any supply sitting unused,” Northam said at a news conference Wednesday, saying health systems that don’t move fast enough will receive fewer doses in future distribution rounds.
With frustration rising over the sluggish rollout of the vaccine, Northam is one of many state leaders and other politicians around the U.S. who are turning up the pressure to get shots in arms more quickly. The governor, a Democrat, has been criticized by Republicans for the pace of vaccinations in the state.
“There’s no question we need to speed the process up,” Northam said.
Northam also named a new official responsible for coordinating the the state’s coronavirus vaccination drive, and he announced details for the first time about who will be included in the state’s second and third tier of vaccine priorities.
Northam said Dr. Danny Avula, the director of the Richmond City and Henrico County health departments, will be in charge of the state’s vaccine push.
“He will be our field general coordinating work between state officials, local health departments, hospitals and private providers,” Northam said of Avula.
The governor also announced that Virginia had finalized its plans for who would be eligible to receive the vaccine in the next two phases of distribution, referred to as 1B and 1C.
In the current phase, 1A, only health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are eligible to receive a dose.
Northam announced about 1.2 million people will be eligible for the vaccine in phase 1B, a group that will include frontline essential workers such as police, grocery workers, and teachers, along with people 75 and older and people living in correctional facilities.
In phase 1C, another 2.5 million Virginians who are considered frontline essential workers will be eligible for vaccinations. Workers in those categories include housing construction, food service and transportation and logistics workers.
The state health department published detailed guidance about the priorities online, including how people within each phase will be prioritized. State officials said more details would be forthcoming about how Virginians in categories 1B or 1C can sign up to receive a shot and where they will be able to receive one.
While an exact timeline of the rollout to each phase is unclear, Northam said he anticipates all Virginians who want a vaccine being able to get one by summertime. Both vaccines approved in the U.S. so far require two doses.
The governor urged Virginians to continue being vigilant with social distancing measures as they await vaccinations.
“We have a long winter ahead of us,” Northam said.
(All contents © copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.