GREENSBORO, N.C. — The White House COVID-19 task force announced Friday a new, federally-funded mass vaccination site is coming to Greensboro.
The site will open at the Four Seasons Town Centre on Wednesday, March 10. It will have options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service in the space that used to be Dillard's. Appointments will be required and will be available through a central system. Information on scheduling appointments will be released in the coming days.
"This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said.
The White House said it chose Greensboro as a location for a community vaccine center based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's framework to target the most vulnerable communities.
“The goal is to launch vaccination sites that use processes, and are in locations that promote equity, deploying the CDC’s social vulnerability index,” Andy Slavitt, a member of the White House COVID-19 task force, said.
"Because we are located here on a number of interstates and right in the center part of the state, made a lot of sense for FEMA to be able to come here from a transportation standpoint," said Guilford County Emergency Management Director Don Campbell, "But we also know that Guilford County has a high percentage of population of our historically marginalized populations."
The Greensboro site will have the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 people a day and will operate seven days a week for eight weeks. That's a projection of about 170,000 shots going into arms.
"It's 3,000 more shots a day to North Carolina that weren't here before," said Keith Acree with North Carolina Emergency Management, "So we hope that that is going to help speed the process and make things more accessible which makes shots easier to get."
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The development is something leaders in Guilford County pushed for some weeks.
"It's great for the citizens of Guilford County. It will help us be able to get more vaccines added to our Guilford county citizens' arms," said Skip Alston, Guilford County Commissioner.
"We are glad to see that the President and his staff have listened to us. I think that the visit by the governor two weeks ago also helped our push to have Guilford County considered as a mass vaccination site," Alston said.
“Greensboro is pleased to play a vital role in vaccinating the general public,” said Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan in a statement.
“We look forward to working with the Biden, Cooper, and Guilford County health departments as we continue to focus on vaccination, prevention, and reducing the spread of COVID19. Through those coordinated efforts we can keep businesses in business and send our students back to school full time,” Vaughan stated.
The mega-site will act as a hub with additional vaccine centers in nearby communities. The location of those additional centers will be determined by the state.
When the site opens, North Carolinians will be able to schedule appointments through state and local vaccine providers.
