Tampa will have one of four FEMA coronavirus vaccination sites in Florida – Tampa Bay Times

Federal officials will open a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Tampa Greyhound Track, one of four such locations to open in Florida that are meant to get more of the valuable shots into arms more quickly.

In recent days, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been working with states to open several large-scale vaccination sites around the country.

Florida will have four of these sites, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday: the one in Tampa, at 755 E Waters Ave.; at Valencia Colleges West Campus in Orlando; at the Gateway Mall in Jacksonville; and at Miami-Dade Community Colleges North Campus in Miami.

The sites will open March 3 and will operate seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to a release from the governors office. Each one is expected to administer 2,000 shots per day. In addition, every site will have two smaller mobile satellite sites, each conducting 500 vaccinations a day in underserved areas, according to the release.

Altogether, the four sites would be capable of administering about 12,000 shots a day a helpful boost to the states vaccination efforts. The supply will come from the federal government and will be in addition to doses the government gives Florida each week to allocate as the state sees fit.

The federal government is working with the state to open the sites. People wanting to get vaccinated at these locations should use the states pre-registration system, myvaccine.fl.gov, or call the designated county phone number.

DeSantis initially called President Joe Bidens idea of using FEMA to build vaccination clinics across the U.S. a big mistake. But he later changed course and said he would help with the sites to get more vaccine doses into the state.

The sites will primarily use federal staff, according to a news release from the White House. It said the sites were chosen using a number of factors, including each areas score on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Social Vulnerability Index.

The White House said Hillsborough County was identified as one of nine counties in the state with significantly underserved or marginalized populations. It said the mobile vaccination clinics could also help reach part of the Seminole Tribe of Florida population and serve nearby counties vulnerable communities, specifically pointing to cities such as Lake Alfred, Lakeland and Bowling Green.

The eligibility criteria at these sites will mirror the states requirements, according to the White House news release. In Florida, people who are 65 and older, are frontline health care workers or are staff or residents of long-term care facilities are currently eligible to get vaccines.

We couldnt be more excited, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said of the new federal site in her city. She said the city and the county worked with the Department of Health and state Division of Emergency Management to find it.

Castor said she knows theres been a lot of frustration in the early weeks of the states vaccine rollout. Officials are working to get shots administered efficiently and to as wide a population as possible, she said. We have done all in our power to ensure everyone has availability to the vaccine.

It appears some details and communication regarding how the four federal sites will operate may still be getting worked out. The governors office said the Florida National Guard will be assisting with the effort. But as of early Friday afternoon, a spokeswoman said she was unaware of the guards involvement.

The Tampa Greyhound Track got involved on Wednesday after the governors office reached out, said Greg Gelyon, vice president of finance for parent company Tampa Bay Downs.

When they ask for something this serious, to help out, we cant say no, Gelyon said. He said the facilitys east and west parking lots have been leased for the effort but added he doesnt have further details about how exactly the site will be used.

Greyhound racing is no longer allowed in Florida, but the Tampa Greyhound Track, which also goes by TGT Poker & Racebook, still offers poker and simulcast race wagering, according to a spokeswoman.

As of Friday, more than 2.6 million Floridians had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to state data. In Hillsborough County, 124,906 people had received at least one dose, while 121,996 people in Pinellas County had.

Staff writer Ileana Najarro contributed to this report.

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Tampa will have one of four FEMA coronavirus vaccination sites in Florida - Tampa Bay Times