Lane County Public Health is trying to make it easy for people to access the COVID-19 vaccine. Starting next week, people can drop in to vaccine clinics without an appointment.
Public Health’s Jason Davis said appointments will still be an option but they want to better accommodate peoples’ schedules.
“This should be a significant change for our community and should make it as easy as possible for folks to get their vaccine,” Davis said. “Even allowing some people who only have a limited amount of time spread out throughout the day to take off, go down to a vaccine clinic and get their shot.”
Davis added the goal is to always get people in and out within 30 minutes.
COVID-19 cases have consistently been high amongst K-12 and college age people in Lane County.
At a Public Health briefing Tuesday, Davis mentioned social media posts of parties last weekend near the University of Oregon campus. The photos showed people packed together, unmasked.
“Hoping that those folks can understand that their individual actions can really have a dramatic impact on our local businesses and on individuals that will have challenging outcomes from COVID,” Davis said.
Davis said they’ll know in the coming days if those gatherings led to more coronavirus transmissions. He says hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also trending younger in Lane County, a majority are under 40 years old.
Based on contact tracing, public health says most cases are transmitted during social gatherings, extracurricular activities and, at workplaces, during break time-- when people let down their guards, and possibly their masks.
Davis said there’s a workplace outbreak of five individuals at COSTCO.
Lane County K-12 school cases reported between April 18 and May 2:
Bethel School District: 11 cases
Eugene 4j: 31 cases
Springfied SD:36 cases
Creswell: under 10 cases.
Fern Ridge: 10 cases
Pleasant hill: under 10 cases
Siuslaw: under 10 cases
Upcoming Lane County Public Health COVID-19 mass vaccine clinics:
Tues 5/4, Public Health at Ophelia’s place, ~10-20 Pfizer prime
Wed 5/5 Street outreach to unhoused populations, Occupy Medical with Public Health, 10 Pfizer boost
Fri 5/7, Street outreach to unhoused populations at new location, Public Health, ~20 J&J
Fri 5/7, CORE Street Feed, Occupy Medical with Public Health, ~12 Pfizer boost
Weekday drive-throughs:
Tues 5/4 Fairgrounds 4:00-8:30 ~1,000 Moderna prime and boost
Wed 5/5 Autzen 4:00-8:30 ~1,000 Pfizer prime and boost
Thurs 5/6 Fairgrounds 4:00-8:30 ~1,000 Moderna prime and boost
Fri 5/7 Fairgrounds noon-6:00 ~2,400 Moderna prime and boost
Fri 5/7 Autzen noon-6:00 ~2,400 Pfizer prime and boost
