Berks launches vaccine hotline
Berks County launched a hotline Monday designed to help residents who have been struggling to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.
The call center is aimed to assist people who have difficulty registering for a vaccination slot online or need transportation to get to an appointment. It’s part of an effort to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks and miss out on their chance to get vaccinated.
The center can be reached at 888-712-2772 and will take calls from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with assistance available in English
and Spanish. It is being operated in partnership with Co-County Wellness.
Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt said during a commissioners meeting Thursday that people who call the center will be given appointments at sites throughout the community until the county opens the doors to its own vaccination center.
Barnhardt said plans for the Berks Cares Vaccine Center at the North Reading Plaza in Muhlenberg Township are moving forward, but an opening date has still not been announced.
Barnhardt, who is leading the community vaccination task force, said the county is working with its partners to ensure they have the workforce in place to staff the site.
Those partners include the Berks Community Health Center, which is providing the medical personnel to administer the vaccines and is hiring to make sure they can meet the demand, and BARTA, which will provide free transportation through fixed and shared rides for people unable to get to the center.