City promoting vaccination drive

Oct. 23 event targets Hispanic and Asian communities. Breaking news for Decatur, Dunwoody, Stone Mountain and others on Twitter: @dekalbnewsnow

Dunwoody is partnering with several nonprof- its to hold a COVID-19 vaccine event for the city’s Hispanic, Asian and harder-toreach communities.

The City Council allocated $29,000 to hold the vaccina- tion event Oct. 23 outside of the Consulates of El Salvador and Honduras in neighbor- ing Doraville. The event is a follow-up effort to vaccinate non-english speakers after an April effort led to 600 people getting their shots.

“We did 600 vaccines between Dunwoody and Doraville,” Mayor Lynn Deutsch said during Monday’s City Council meeting. “Then it was a lot easier because you could knock on every door and find peo- ple in need of vaccines, so this will be a little more time intensive on the partners’ part. But I’m thrilled for us to be able to offer this oppor- tunity.”

Dunwoody is partnering with Latino Community Fund Georgia, We Love Buhi, Corners Outreach, Ventanillas de Salud and the Center for Pan Asian Community Services to throw the Octo- ber event. She said members of those organizations will canvass the area and knock on apartment doors to find people in need of vaccina- tion and other health-re- lated services.

Attendees will also be able to receive free blood pressure screenings, glucose screen- ings, HIV tests and both fresh food and dry food goods.

The city is funding the event by using Coronavi- rus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that remain in its City Supplies and Services budget, which is roughly $685,000. Assistant City Manager Jay Vinicki said the city will enter into a contract with LCF Georgia to oversee the vaccine event.

Further information on the Oct. 23 event will be released at a later time.