DOH Leon Provides Week 26 Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 2021

DOH Leon Provides Week 26 Updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts 

Tallahassee, FL --- The Department of Health in Leon County (DOH Leon) in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and multiple public and private sector partners, continues its mission to get all Leon County residents vaccinated as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. All of this as we continue our collective efforts related to limiting the spread of the virus and protecting public health.

This week, actions to continue a proactive approach to vaccination efforts in Leon County include the following as of June 16:

DOH Leon Vaccination Clinic Highlights:

• We have so far sponsored 44 vaccination clinics.
• We have successfully administered nearly 30,000 doses through our health department to date.
• The department continues offering vaccinations to those 12 years of age and older at the Roberts & Stevens Clinic at 1515 Old Bainbridge Road. Staff administer doses every Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. through the month of June.
• Our Community Health and Planning leadership team continues ground level, data-driven events with key partners, to decrease vaccine hesitancy and increase access to vaccination sites.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in December 2020, Leon County has vaccinated a total of 128,758 people. Additionally, as of June 15, 49% of all eligible Leon County residents have received at least one vaccine dose. See the table below for a breakdown of COVID-19 vaccinations by age groups:

The Leon County Vax Map helps citizens find convenient locations that offer COVID-19 vaccinations. The online easy-to-use resource allows users to select a location from the existing map or search for a known address. In addition, permanent and pop-up COVID-19 testing sites can also be found on the Leon County “Vax Map.”

The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health continue to identify places of worship and other locations in underserved communities. Fewer first dose clinics are scheduled as demand for the COVID-19 vaccine is dropping statewide, and locally. To date, more than 108,500 vaccines have been administered in partnership with places of worship.

Among this week’s community mobile COVID-19 vaccination events:  A COVID-19 vaccination bus visits the Florida People’s Advocacy Center (603 N Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) on Thursday, June 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Doses will be available to those 12 years of age and older. Event sponsors include: DOH Leon, The Florida Department of Health, and The Florida People’s Advocacy Center.

The state continues to encourage homebound individuals to sign up and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at their home. Individuals can begin the registration process by calling 833-930-3672 or email homeboundvaccines@cdrmaguire.com. Find and complete a pre-screening survey at: https://homebound.patientportalfl.com/.  Only individuals who meet the U.S Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services criteria for homebound, are currently eligible for the vaccine.

Community partners continue programs offering free rides to help people reach their COVID-19 vaccine appointments.  2-1-1 Big Bend and Lyft are offering transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites through the Lyft Ride United Program. The project provides safe and reliable door to door rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments at walk-up COVID-19 vaccination sites to those who are eligible to receive the vaccine. Rides can be set up by calling (850) 617-6325 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Additionally, Tallahassee’s Elder Care Services continues helping residents 60 years of age and older get to community vaccination sites. They can call (850) 921-5554 to schedule transportation. Individuals do not have to be officially enrolled in the Elder Care Services Program to take advantage of this opportunity.

Situation Update for COVID-19 in Leon County (6/13-6/19). Leon County COVID-19 key metrics continue trending in the right direction. Our 7-day rolling average for new cases has averaged 14 per day for the past two weeks. So far for this week, the average of cases has not changed from last week, remaining at 11 per day. The COVID-19 test positivity rate has been 3.36% for the past two weeks, and so far, this week, our positivity rate is 2.97 %.  COVID-19 related hospitalizations are slowly decreasing. As of June 16, Leon County has a known total of 32,216 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 336 deaths among FL residents

The Florida Department of Health will no longer update its COVID-19 dashboard and has suspended daily case and vaccine reports. Weekly updates are now posted on Fridays.

For any additional questions about the vaccine at this time, the State COVID-19 Call Center can be reached by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov  and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note the state’s call center will end operations at the end of August. COVID-19 inquiries will transition back to county health departments. Leon County residents with general questions about COVID-19 or the COVID-19 vaccine can call 850-404-6300, option 1 during regular business hours.

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Submitted by:

Pamela Saulsby | Public Information Officer