City of Providence begins vaccinations for 75+ residents
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Eligible residents from all over the Ocean State will have access to schedule an appointment for vaccinations at several locations beginning Wednesday.
That includes state-run vaccination sites and clinics available to the elderly in the City of Providence. The city kicked off their first round of vaccinations, becoming the latest city to open appointments up to residents 75 and older.
“This is a war against the vaccine; the pandemic is the common enemy,” Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said. “Everyone stepping up to be a part of the solution is what’s going to get us to the other side.”
Mayor Elorza says the city is receiving an allotment of 1,200 vaccines per week for four weeks. That will give the city the ability to vaccinate about 500 to 600 residents a day.
“We’re partnering with some outside providers that are providing their own vaccination clinics, but it’s really all the same,” Mayor Elorza said. “It’ll be at the same place, using the same infrastructure.”
The City of Providence is using their own vaccine portal: www.vaccinatePVD.com. There, city officials will post links to the latest clinics where eligible people can sign up for an appointment. So far, three clinics are set to run Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Links can be found here:
“We need as many people as possible to register for the vaccine,” Mayor Elorza said. “You can call 311 and we’ll register you right away or you can go to vaccinatepvd.com and register yourself.”
As far as the future, Mayor Elorza says it’s unclear what path the state will take moving forward.
“Once this first round of vaccines that were promised to the cities run out, we don’t know whether the state will continue to rely on cities and towns or whether the state is just going to run their own statewide vaccination clinics.”
Until then, cities continue to move forward with their clinics all while the Department of Health prepares to open two mass vaccination sites Thursday. Those sites along with CVS and Walgreens provide another avenue for Rhode Islanders to get the shot.
If you need help signing up for the City of Providence’s clinic, call 311.
To sign up for the City of Providence notification list, visit: www.providenceri.gov/vaccinate/vaccine-notification.
©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2021
