Orange County expands vaccine eligibility for convention center site

Vaccine appointments available in Orange County

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on Monday announced that more people would be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Demings said that the county has a strong inventory of the vaccine, but not enough people looking to get the shot.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County announced on Monday that even more people can get vaccinated at the convention center site.

Mayor Jerry Demings said that the following groups are now eligible for vaccines at the Orange County Convention Center site:

Any educator or support staff member regardless of age, including substitute teachers, daycare workers, and bus drivers with valid ID
Firefighters and law enforcement officers of all ages
Healthcare personnel with direct patient contact
Any person 65 years of age or older
Long-term care facility residents and their staff
Any person who is deemed medically vulnerable by a medical professional (must use the Florida Department of Health form)

Mayor Demings said that plenty of vaccination appointments are still available and can be made on the Orange County website.

Orange County gives COVID-19 update on vaccines, strike teams, and more

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and public health officials gathered at the convention center vaccine site on Monday morning.

He also acknowledged that the county is approaching the one-year anniversary of his executive order declaring a local state of emergency, allowing him to redirect resources to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"It has been a challenging year for all of us, but we know things are better with the vaccine getting into the arms of many people," Mayor Demings said.

The anniversary is officially on Saturday, March 13th.

This has reportedly been the longest local state of emergency in Orange County history.

Mayor Demings also spoke about additional federal funding.

"Most Americans are excited about the potential for additional financial help," he said in regards to the COVID-19 relief bill that should be on President Biden's desk by the end of the week. "The bill is huge in terms of the impact on not only Americans but certainly Orange County. We stand to receive $251 million in federal recovery assistance. That will go a long way in helping our community recover."

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