Northeast Georgians living in and around Athens will be given first priority to sign up for a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic being set up in the Classic City.
Northeast Health District Public Information Officer Sara Peck says the new site, located at 355 Oneta Street in Athens, will begin offering vaccinations starting Tuesday, January 12.
Both testing and vaccination will be provided free of charge at the new site, but appointments are required. To make an appointment, visit PublicHealthAthens.com or call 706-340-0996.
Priority will be given to those who live or work in the Northeast Health District, which includes the following counties: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton.
Appointments required
Although the expanded site offers hope for more people to get vaccinated sooner, getting an appointment is challenging. The public health website where people are directed online to schedule appointments is difficult to access due to slow load times caused by high traffic volumes and callers have overwhelmed the health district’s COVID-19 hotline.
“The response has been enormous – which is both wonderful and overwhelming. We are asking for the public’s patience at this time,” notes District Administrator Emily Eisenman. “We have greatly expanded our hotline both in terms of staffing and provider support, but we are receiving thousands of calls a day, and hold times are still long. Anyone who is eligible and submits a registration form on our website will be called within a few days to schedule an appointment, which may be a better option for many.”
W&A Engineering and Southern Mills Partners worked in concert to donate the parking area, tents, and office space necessary for the testing and vaccination facility. “The past year has challenged our community, and when we saw an opportunity to help, we took it,” explains Jon Williams, CEO of W&A Engineering. “We wanted to be involved in the process of vaccine distribution and help end the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Northeast Health District had also operated drive-through COVID-19 testing sites on Mitchell Bridge Road in Athens and at the Winterville Center for Community and Culture. Both of those sites are now closed.
Emergency Preparedness Director for the Northeast Health District Nina Cleveland says the new site will allow public health to double their capacity, “getting the vaccine to more people quickly.”
District Health Director Dr. Stephen Goggans added, “We’ve all been waiting for this moment, and we understand how highly anticipated the vaccine is to so many. Vaccine quantity is still limited, however, and we need everyone to keep doing their part by practicing social distancing and wearing masks or cloth face coverings in public as we work to protect our community.”
