Updated: Pawtucket NOW Vaccinating ALL Residents – Providence does same, but only certain zips

In rapid succession, the mayor of Pawtucket (first) and then Providence announced changes in their vaccination program.

First, the statement from Pawtucket:

Mayor Donald R. Grebien has announced that as of Monday, March 22nd, all age restrictions for vaccination clinics will be removed allowing all residents who are able to receive a vaccine (18 and over for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and 16 and over for Pfizer) to be eligible for all upcoming clinics within the city. Mayor Grebien also thanked Governor Dan McKee and RIDOH for their continued support through the High Density Community (HDC) initiative.

“Our goal is to get as many shots in as many arms as quickly as possible,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Achieving this goal is going to take a whole-of-government, full state response and close partnership with our local communities. I thank Mayor Grebien and his team for working hard to ensure an equitable and efficient vaccine distribution in the city. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our high density communities and all 39 cities and towns to beat COVID-19 and come back stronger.”

The City is expecting additional vaccinations in the coming weeks and will continue encouraging residents to stay tuned to the website for available dates and times.

“There is a demand in the community for vaccines, and we are very excited to encourage all residents to receive the vaccine when they are able to get an appointment,” said Mayor Donald R. Grebien. “We are continuing to work with the State through the High Density Community initiatives in order to continuously get vaccines in the arms of Pawtucket residents. I thank Governor McKee and Dr. Alexander-Scott for their leadership in getting our diverse community vaccinated.”

“Equity is a major focus for us in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. This means distributing vaccine in a way that is responsive to the reality that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on certain communities, such as Pawtucket. Accelerating vaccine distribution there and in other harder-hit ZIP codes as part of the State’s targeted High Density Community vaccination strategy is key to preventing as many hospitalizations and fatalities as possible, and to ending the pandemic throughout Rhode Island,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. “This approach is reflective of our larger vision at the Rhode Island Department of Health that all Rhode Islanders in every ZIP code should have an equal opportunity to be healthy. We are very thankful for the partnership we’ve had with the City of Pawtucket and the many community partners throughout the city who are working so hard to keep people healthy and safe.”

The City is asking residents, who have not done so already, to complete the online form at www.pawtucketri.com/covid19 in order to get more information on upcoming COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The form, in multiple languages, is intended to connect all residents with information on upcoming clinics as they become available.

The form will serve as a contact list for residents to submit their information and be contacted by the BEAT COVID-19 team when an upcoming clinic they are eligible for is announced by the RI Department of Health.

Residents are required to provide information including their name, date of birth, street address, telephone number, and email in order to be placed on the contact list. This form does not serve as preregistration for a clinic and residents are still required to consult the Pawtucket website or call the BEAT COVID-19 hotline to register for an individual clinic once they are notified that they qualify. Registration on the form does not guarantee the resident a spot in the next vaccination clinic and all clinics are still on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The City of Pawtucket’s clinics are hosted by Pawtucket EMA, the Pawtucket Fire Department, the Pawtucket Police Department, Public Health and Equity Leader Elizabeth Damoura Moreira, and community volunteers. Other HDC clinics are hosted by the YMCA and Asthenis Pharmacy, Simpsons Rx, BVCHC and Santiago Medical Group.

“We understand that we won’t be able to vaccinate everyone overnight, but this is a great step in returning to normalcy,” said Moreira. “We thank the residents for their continued patience as we continue moving forward toward full community vaccination.”

The City continues to anticipate having Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson throughout different vaccine clinics in the coming weeks with the hopes of higher allocations than in previous weeks. Residents are encouraged to visit the Pawtucket website at www.PawtucketRI.com/Covid19 to see any available clinics. The website is updated 7 days a week when a clinic is made available.

Those who may need further assistance can still reach out to the BEAT COVID-19 call line at 855-843-7620.

Second, the statement from Providence:

Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and Council President Sabina Matos today announced that the City of Providence has been granted authority by the Rhode Island Department of Health to immediately begin registering eligible Providence residents ages 18 and older in some of the neighborhoods hardest-hit by COVID-19 in the state for vaccination clinics. These neighborhoods comprise the zip codes 02904, 02905, 02907, 02908, and 02909.

“Vaccinations are effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, which is why it’s important to focus vaccination efforts in settings where the risks are most severe,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “In the seven hardest-hit zip codes throughout the state, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate for people as young as 25 is higher than the hospitalization rate in the rest of Rhode Island for people over 60 years old. Today’s science and data-driven approach brings us yet another step closer to stopping the spread of COVID-19 in communities hardest hit by the virus.”

Residents ages 18 and older living in zip codes 02904, 02905, 02907, 02908, and 02909 are eligible for vaccination clinics managed by the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and community partners as well as the mass vaccination site at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. All eligible Providence residents ages 60 and older will still have access to PEMA and state clinics. Appointments are available on a first-come-first-served basis. All Providence COVID-19 vaccines are available to residents at no cost and insurance is not required. Vaccines are available to all eligible residents of all immigration statuses. “I believe that vaccinating as many people as we can, as soon as we can, will help to lower the rate of communal spread in our hardest-hit and most densely populated neighborhoods. By opening vaccines to residents 18+ and allowing them to use other sites such as our state-run clinics and pharmacies will provide for greater access to getting vaccines in arms,” stated Council President Sabina Matos.

Providence residents ages 60 and older and 18 and older with specific health conditions <https://health.ri.gov/publications/guidelines/COVID19-underlying-conditions.pdf> outlined by the Rhode Island Department of Health or 18 and older living in zip codes 02904, 02905, 02907, 02908, and 02909 are encouraged to register for vaccine clinics through the City’s online portal at VaccinatePVD.com https://vaccinatepvd.com/. If residents cannot register themselves, they are asked to please call and connect to the Mayor’s Center for City Services by dialing 3-1-1 or (401) 421-2489.