And even then, there is no guarantee it will be worth the trip. Joyce Miller, a senior living in the 9100 block where she and her husband are housebound due to the COVID pandemic, has been able to get a neighbour to pick up her mail. It seemed to go well initially, but when the neighbour made the trip in late January, there was nothing waiting for Miller despite the fact she relies on the mail to get her bills. A week later, the neighbour made the trip again and this time came back with 60 pieces for Miller. You should see the stack of mail I got here, it is unbelievable, she said.
More than 5,800 people are still waiting on a COVID-19 vaccine from the Leon County Department of Health. We are not able to provide an approximate wait time for call backs and continue to ask our senior community for patience as we continue to manage a high volume of request forms, Pam Saulsby, Leon County health department spokeswoman, wrote in an email to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The local health department did not specify how many doses of the vaccine it currently has and noted that the vaccine doses it does receive are shared with local healthcare providers.
Saulsby added that if seniors miss a call from the health department or Leon County volunteers, their names remain on the department s master list. Volunteers will continue to call, but will not leave voicemails, she said.
The health department did not ask volunteers to leave voicemails with people who do not answer their phones, but volunteers will call a person multiple times, he said.
The department does not have one phone number dedicated to scheduling appointments, so those waiting for an appointment should answer all calls from an unknown number.
Be advised: COVID-19 vaccines are free and callers will not be asking for money. Visit LeonCountyFL.gov for more information.
Five Leon County residents die
Five more Leon County residents have died because of COVID-19, the Florida Department of Health confirmed on Friday. Further details about the deceased were not immediately available.