Local health officials are changing where vaccination clinics are set up to reach residents who have yet to get the shot. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney says it’s an effort launched to meet President Biden’s goal of getting 70% of the population vaccinated by July 4.
Amy Popovich, Nurse Manager of the Richmond and Henrico Health District, says they are moving away from mass vaccination events.
“They’ll be spots where people live, work and play, at the grocery store, at the neighborhood block party or at the local church,” Popovich, who spoke at Stoney’s press conference, said.
Currently, Popovich says over 50% of city residents have received at least one dose.
Over the summer, walk-up clinics and mobile vaccination units will be set up in areas around the city where fewer people have received a dose, mostly in Southside.
However, mass vaccination events won’t be completely obsolete. The city of Richmond is holding a mass vaccination event and community job fair on June 12. 25 hiring agencies will be set up at Southside Plaza, including several specifically recruiting for hospitality job.
“This will allow hiring agencies to let people know what their hiring practices are, what their pay rates are, what their environment is. There is a real crisis in hiring in the hospitality industry right now,” said Jason Alley, a local restauranter who’s also serving as a policy adviser to Richmond officials.
Other localities, such as Chesterfield, have also set up clinics in places like parks, apartment complexes and churches over the past few weeks.
