Mass vaccination sites opening next week in Providence, Cranston for people 75+
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) shared hopeful news with Rhode Islanders at Thursday’s press briefing, easing some restrictions and announcing that more vaccine doses will be accessible to eligible residents.
Two mass vaccination sites run by the state are set to open on Thursday. One, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, will vaccinate around 500 people per day to start, and the other, at the former Citizens Bank building in Cranston, will vaccinate around 900 people per day.
“We will have the capacity to vaccinate hundreds of individuals per hour through those sites.”
Dr. Alexander-Scott called this period the “calm before the storm,” saying RIDOH is concerned about the new coronavirus variants popping up across the world. She said they’re monitoring for them in Rhode Island, and while no positive cases from new strains have been identified here, it’s just a matter of time.
“We are assessing through sequencing of samples and by tracking our own outbreaks in Rhode Island to see if any unusually large groups of cases are happening which could be related to a more contagious strain of the virus,” she explained. “We have every expectation that we will confirm that they’re here and that they likely already are here.”
Dr. Alexander-Scott said it’s important to wear a proper, high-quality mask and don’t stay in public indoor spaces without proper ventilation. High-quality masks are described as KN95 masks, KF94 masks, N95 masks, or medical procedure masks.
RIDOH will be handing out KN95 masks to people at testing sites starting next week.
In the meantime, RIDOH is working to vaccinate as many people as possible. Around 7,000 doses of vaccine are heading to CVS and Walgreen’s for people 75 years of age and older, and municipalities are getting 7,800 doses total each week for the next four weeks.
Those local clinics will be set up at schools and senior centers, Dr. Alexander-Scott said, starting Wednesday.
“We are already starting to see results. Our case rate among healthcare workers has plummeted in a very good way. We’ve also seen great results in our long term care facilities.”
A registration link will be shared by RIDOH on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s opening of the two state-run vaccination sites. Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said they’re also going to have a phone line where people can call to register.
But, she warned, not everyone will be able to get an appointment.
“There is still more demand than supply right at this time. We understand that people are frustrated by that, we are frustrated too. We wish more vaccine was coming into Rhode Island, we’re doing everything we can to help make that happen,” Dr. Alexander-Scott said.
“We will get to the point where everyone who wants to get vaccinated can get vaccinated. Until then, we’re asking you for your patience for a little while longer, as we continue to focus on the most vulnerable to keep them out of the hospital and to keep them alive.”
© WLNE-TV 2021
