City of Arlington Stands Ready to Provide First 3,000 COVID-19 Vaccinations to Front-Line Healthcare Providers in East Tarrant County
By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication
Posted on December 23, 2020, December 23, 2020

The Arlington Fire Department stands ready to begin vaccinating front-line healthcare providers when the first 3,000 allotted doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services arrive in the coming days.

Arlington firefighters and American Medical Response, the City’s contracted ambulance provider, will provide vaccinations for fire department personnel, emergency medical service providers and other select healthcare workers in Arlington and other communities throughout east Tarrant County. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccines received by the City of Arlington will be distributed to eligible healthcare workers following the state and federal priority vaccination list and in coordination with Tarrant County Public Health.

“This is the first step in overcoming this pandemic – vaccinating our front-line healthcare providers, our front-line EMS responders and our front-line firefighters who are fighting this pandemic every single day,” said Dr. Cynthia Simmons, the City of Arlington Public Health Authority.

On Wednesday, the City provided local media a tour of its new COVID-19 vaccination site, set up inside a large exhibit hall at Esports Stadium Arlington + Expo Center. Arlington Fire Department and AMR personnel are prepared to vaccinate up to 100 healthcare workers per hour, Assistant Fire Chief Gerald Randall said.

The City plans to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to additional at-risk groups, and eventually the general public, as more doses are allocated by the state. In addition to creating the vaccination site, the Arlington Fire Department has a sub-zero freezer, a regular freezer and standard refrigeration units fully operational and ready to store COVID-19 vaccines of any type.

“As we move into other phases that include the general public or at-risk populations, there is a real possibility we may go to a drive-thru format or to other locations within the City of Arlington or the surrounding area,” Randall said.

Vaccination is the next phase in the City of Arlington efforts to protect public health during the coronavirus pandemic. Since this spring, the City has provided more than 77,000 COVID-19 tests at public testing sites located throughout Arlington to help prevent the spread of the disease, Randall said. Arlington is also the first city in the country to implement the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention at its public facilities, including libraries, recreation centers and City Hall, under the guidance of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council.

Covid-19 vaccination site

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