Businesses frustrated by slow vaccine roll out are starting to see hope March 17, 2021
3:23 pm
Cars line up at a Lehigh Valley Health Network COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Dorney Park in South Whitehall Township. The health network planned to vaccinate 4,000 people on March 11. PHOTO/LVHN
There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine rates begin to pick up in Pennsylvania.
Still, many are frustrated with the slow pace up until this point – especially in getting vaccines to those working with the public who aren’t health care workers or teachers in group 1a of the state’s vaccine roll out.
Northeastern Pennsylvania counties and the commonwealth as a whole continue to show signs of progress in the fight against COVID-19, though medical officials are still stressing the importance of diligence in order to win the war against the pandemic.
Across the Keystone State, coronavirus percent positivity saw yet another decline in the most recent COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard report, which is released weekly on Mondays.
Percent positivity for the entirety of Pennsylvania decreased from 12.8% for the week of Jan. 8 to Jan. 14 to 10.5% for the week of Jan. 15 to Jan. 21.
However, every county in the state currently has a percent positivity above 5%, which is deemed concerning. While two counties have rates over 20%, that does make for a decrease of two counties from last week’s report.
Complaints that Bucks County is lagging behind its neighbors distributing the coronavirus vaccine might be a case of a watched pot never boiling.
And while county residents seem eager, and in some cases frustrated with the wait, to receive the vaccine, a review by this news orgainzation of data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the county’s vaccinations are moving along at rates close to other counties and the national average.
And with the plan progressing, the county Friday launched its online pre-registration link to begin coordination into the next phases of its planned rollout. Those who register will be notified when they can schedule an appointment.
How do I get a COVID vaccine?
Many individuals in later priority groups and the general public will likely get the vaccine as they get flu shots at a health care provider or a pharmacy location.
For Phase 1B, there may still be some large regional vaccination sites for workers, but there also will be employer-based vaccine clinics for essential worker populations and vaccines available for high-risk groups at local clinics and pharmacies.
On Wednesday, Lehigh Valley Health Network reported that mass immunization tents have been set up in nearby Lehigh County, with operations to start on appropriate groups as soon as we have sufficient vaccine and the go-ahead from the State.
Most Pennsylvanians should be able to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by late spring or early summer, which could pave the way for restrictions to be lifted, state officials said Friday.
Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced the state s fourth version of its vaccine rollout, which details who will be eligible to receive vaccination before it is made available to the general public.
Wolf said he sees a light at the end of the vaccination tunnel, when 65-to-75% of Pennsylvanians are vaccinated, new case numbers begin to rapidly drop and hospital capacities return to normal where he would lift restrictions.