Once again, there are some new developments on the COVID-19 vaccination front that can benefit cities looking for vaccine opportunities for their employees. Here are the highlights:
Vaccination eligibility to expand again on March 31
On March 18, Governor Inslee announced another expansion of vaccine
eligibility effective Wednesday, March 31 to include category 1B, tiers 3 and 4. After this expansion,
vaccine eligibility will include (new additions in bold):
- Anyone age 60 and older;
- Anyone age 50 and older living in a multigenerational household;
- Health care workers at high risk of COVID infection;
- First responders;
- Educators and school staff for pre-K – 12;
- Child-care workers;
- People living or working in long term care facilities;
- All other health workers at risk of COVID-19 infection;
- Critical workers in congregate settings (including workers in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores & retail, public transit, firefighters and law enforcement, among others);
- People 16 and older that are pregnant;
- People 16 and older who have a disability putting them at higher risk;
- Anyone with two or more comorbidities (look here for a list of preexisting conditions considered COVID-19 comorbidities);
- Anyone living in congregate settings (correctional facilities, group homes for those with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, etc.); and
- Additional workers in congregate settings (restaurants, manufacturing, construction).
As we wrote this week, this new eligibility expansion will include certain city
utility workers. The state is still planning to open up eligibility to all those over age 16 by May 1, per President Biden’s guidance to states. The Governor’s office estimates that after this week’s expansion, around 5 million Washingtonians should be eligible
for a COVID-19 vaccine.
City employees that are considering getting the vaccine can determine their eligibility using the state Department of Health’s Phase Finder tool.
Eligible people can use their Phase Finder results as proof of eligibility when they arrive at a vaccine clinic. City employees can also use the state’s Vaccine Locator tool to find vaccine clinics with available vaccination appointments. You can also look up vaccination sites by county here. More
information on Washington’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations is available here.
MRSC also has an overview on vaccinations in the local government workplace with
some helpful information.
New federal COVID-19 mass vaccination site coming to Yakima
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on March 22 that it has approved a 6-week mass vaccination program for the Yakima Valley, in conjunction with the state and Yakima County Health District. The program will begin March 31. The program will include a fixed drive through site at the
Central Washington State Fair Park in the City of Yakima as well as mobile units that will service surrounding communities in the Yakima Valley. The program is expected
to administer over 1,000 extra doses per day; all the extra doses for the federal program will be provided by FEMA and not Yakima County’s regular allotment.