State moves to next phase for vaccines
Everyone over 16 eligible on April 19
Pennsylvania is accelerating eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations by allowing up to a quarter-million police officers, firefighters, grocery store workers, and food and agriculture workers to register for the shots immediately.
Moreover, by April 19 every Pennsylvanian over the age of 16 will be eligible to sign up for shots, even though registration doesn’t mean the appointment will be immediate, acting Department of Health Secretary Alison Beam announced Wednesday.
“It’s important to remember that eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment,” she said. “We are very close to completing Phase 1a,” which includes health workers, people over age 65 and others with certain health problems, a group that totals more than 4 million people, or about a third of the state’s population.
Ms. Beam said the state is “very close” to finishing that cohort, allowing the state to make the
vaccine more widely available.
On Monday, other first responders, manufacturing workers and others in Phase 1b are eligible to register followed by April 12 for people in the 1c group, which includes housing construction workers and finance workers and bank tellers.
Accelerating inoculation is made possible by an increase in vaccines through the federal government, Ms. Beam said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14.8% of Pennsylvania’s population is fully vaccinated, lower than 16.1% of the U.S. population overall, but nearly half of Pennsylvanians over age 65 — the most vulnerable age group — have been fully vaccinated.
The acceleration in vaccine eligibility comes as the numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the disease continue to rise in Pennsylvania, according to the CDC, and the community transmission rate is ranked “high” in all but three rural counties — Warren, Venango and Sullivan.
Moreover, Philadelphia and Allegheny counties rank first and second in the state for the highest number of new cases over the past three weeks; Westmoreland County ranked 12th.
State officials continue to monitor the rising case counts, due partly to the emergence of variants of the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, Ms. Beam said. And despite the escalation in cases, which began around March 1, the department is comfortable with the governor’s March 15 decision to relax some virus mitigation measures.
Effective April 4, indoor dining capacity limits for restaurants can increase to 75% and alcohol may be served without ordering food. Gyms, shopping malls and entertainment facilities can also increase occupancy to 75% under the governor’s order.
To date, the state Health Department said, vaccine providers have administered 5.15 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 3,445,484 people have received a first dose, and 1,709,234 have received a second dose.
Pennsylvania is averaging about 83,000 vaccinations per day. The supply has increased to the point that providers feel comfortable scheduling weeks out, Ms. Beam said.
Health officials said residents can use the Department of Health’s Vaccine Provider Map to find a vaccine provider nearest them. The department said officials will continue to update the map as the federal government increases the number of pharmacy chains receiving vaccine through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership.
Those without internet access can contact the Health Hotline by calling 1877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-7243258).
State Rep. Tim O’Neal, a
member of the state’s coronavirus task force, called Wednesday a day of hope and optimism.
“The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter every day,” Mr. O’Neal, R-Washington, said in a statement.
On Wednesday, about 190,000 to 250,000 front-line workers became eligible to get jabbed, including police, corrections officers and other law enforcement; volunteer and professional firefighters; grocery employees; and food and farm workers.
The rest of the planned rollout:
▪ April 5 — Residents in Phase 1b, an estimated 700,000 to 1 million, will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments. They include other first responders as well as the clergy and workers in grocery stores, manufacturing, public transit, U.S. Postal Service, child care and adult day care, and correctional facilities.
▪ April 12 — All residents in Phase 1c will be eligible — those include workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater services, food service, housing construction, finance including bank tellers, information technology, communications, public safety and others. That population totals between 1.3 million and 1.7 million people.
▪ April 19 — Everyone will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
Although the announcement said police and firefighters are now eligible for the shots, Pittsburgh Public Safety employees have already been getting them, spokeswoman Cara Cruz said.
“Several weeks ago, Public Safety was able to secure enough vaccinations so that any First Responder who wanted them could get them,” she said in a statement. She did not have an exact number who chose to get them but said the majority did.
“Director [Wendell] Hissrich sought the vaccines, secured them and they were administered first to EMS, then Fire and then Police and other PS employees,” she said.
With public transit employees eligible starting Monday, Port Authority said it will pay operators and other employees a $200 bonus to get a COVID-19 vaccine and give them up to two days off if the vaccine makes them sick. The authority said Wednesday it reached an agreement with three unions representing employees on the vaccination plan and will extend that agreement to all 2,700 workers at the agency. The goal is to get as many operators vaccinated as possible so the transit system is ready to reduce or eliminate restrictions on the number of riders on its vehicles when enough operators and members of the public have been vaccinated.
The authority plans to use $550,000 in federal stimulus funds to pay for the bonuses.
“We believe the vaccine is the safest and most efficient way to keep our employees, their families and our customers safe,” CEO Katharine Eagan Kelleman said in a statement released by the agency. “And even though we’re not requiring employees to get the vaccine, we are encouraging them to get it as soon as possible.”
Employees will be required to make their own arrangements to get the vaccine, partially because the agency doesn’t want everyone to get it at the same time in case they experience side effects, spokesman Adam Brandolph said. If employees do have side effects, they can take up to two days off with pay as long as they can show with their vaccination card that the side effects occurred within 48 hours of their immunization.
Employees can take up to two hours of unpaid time during their workday to get the vaccination.
Steve Palonis, business agent for the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents operators, mechanics and some office workers, said the bonus is “a good idea” to encourage employees to get the vaccine.
“We’re trying to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” he said. “Some people are against the vaccine, so we thought an incentive could help.”
Richard Roberts, Giant Eagle spokesman, said in a statement that “Giant Eagle Team Members, alongside all front-line grocery workers, have stepped up to serve our neighbors throughout the pandemic and continue to play a vital role as our communities begin to reopen. We are pleased that grocery workers are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and are working closely with the state to support vaccine distribution to this valuable group of front-line workers.”