ebevins@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG In late January, Vienna resident Hal Foss, who is in his 70s, was concerned because he and his wife hadn’t received calls to schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations.
They waited several weeks after registering on a local list without getting a response and also signed up with the state. In mid-February, they contacted a Vienna pharmacy and found there were shots available.
“We both went down and got a shot from Walgreens, and then the following Thursday we got a call from the state,” Foss said.
The Fosses’ experience wasn’t unique, as demand greatly outpaced supply for the vaccine in the early part of 2021. But as older and higher-risk individuals received their shots and eligibility expanded to all West Virginians 16 and up, getting an appointment got a lot easier.
ebevins@newsandsentinel.com Parkersburg Municipal Building maintenance worker Westley Lockhart cleaned the handles of the doors to City Council chambers on March 13, 2020, as officials in Parkersburg and other municipalities were grappling with how to respond to the burgeoning pandemic. (File Photo) The parking lot at Grand Central Mall in Vienna was mostly empty on April 10, 2020,more than two weeks after it temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (File Photo) Parkersburg City Council met in its chambers for the first time in more than a month on June 2, 2020, and approved the final reading of an ordinance creating a $500 B&O tax exemption to assist businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (File Photo)