More than 4,000 Philadelphia residents received COVID-19 vaccine doses this weekend at the 24-hour vaccination site hosted at the Liacouras Center.
Operated by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, the marathon vaccine clinic attracted thousands of Philly residents, many of whom had to queue for hours outside in freezing temperatures to be vaccinated against the corona virus. Organizers had previously advised attendees to dress warmly in preparation for long lines in cold weather.
People showed up at 9 a.m. on Friday for the vaccination site, which ran from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, according to WHYY. The line wrapped for blocks around the arena.
“I was expecting a lot,” said Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. “I don’t know if I expected this.”
The line at the Liacouras Center for the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium’s 24-hour, walk-up vaccination site wraps around the building several times. More than a thousand people are waiting in snow and freezing cold. People who arrived at 9 am have yet to enter. pic.twitter.com/c7QXq4UKKh
– Ellie Rushing (@EllieRushing) February 19, 2021
NOW HAPPENING: Hundreds are waiting outside the Liacouras center to be vaccinated by the COVID-19 consortium of black doctors. The consortium is organizing a 24-hour clinic. It started vaccinating people at noon and will end at noon on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/kmo7asvOs0
– Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) February 19, 2021
The lines continued until 10 a.m. at Temple University’s Liacouras Center this morning as people braved the cold to get their COVID-19 vaccination. The event organized by the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium delivered more than 3,000 doses in 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/L8LYTTxw75
– Marcus Espinoza (@ MarcusFOX29) February 20, 2021
There are still a few hundred waiting in line on the North Broad, but the line is considerably shorter than this afternoon. BDCC says they have been giving 2K shots since noon pic.twitter.com/yIHjZAKEnI
– Anna Beer (@anna_orso) February 20, 2021
The organization released approximately 200 COVID-19 vaccine doses per hour, according to KYW. It had the capacity to vaccinate 600 to 800 people every six hours.
The goal of the event was to deliver at least 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, but that number was reached and surpassed by Friday night. The clinic had to contact city officials to deliver thousands of additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the early morning hours on Saturday.
The “vax-a-thon” was the first COVID-19 vaccination clinic to be offered in Philadelphia. Vaccines were offered on a first-come, first-served basis and no appointments were required.
The clinic was open to any resident eligible for Phase 1B of the city’s vaccination plan. They also had to live in one of the 20 zip codes with the highest COVID-19 infection rates and deaths. All Philly seniors 75 and older were eligible regardless of zip code.
Attendees were required to bring documentation showing that they met the criteria of Stage 1B and lived in one of the following zip codes: 19104, 19119, 19121, 19123, 19124, 19126, 19131, 19132, 19138, 19139, 19140, 19141, 19142 , 19143, 19144, 19145, 19146, 19150, 19151 and 19153.
Phase 1B of the city’s COVID-19 vaccination plan includes first responders, teachers and other childcare workers, food distribution and preparation workers, transit workers, joint caregivers and residents, and those with high-risk medical conditions.
The people who attended the clinic were classified according to one of four rules. One was for people 75 and older. A second rule was for people who received their first dose but signed up for it earlier. People who signed up were asked to bring a confirmation from the event.
A third rule was for people who had not signed up. The fourth line was for non-English speakers. Spanish and Mandarin translators were on site.
The clinic’s goal was to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines for people who work long hours or have struggled to book an online appointment.
Any resident who has received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose at the 24-hour vaccination clinic is scheduled to receive a booster shot at the Deliverance Evangelistic Baptist Church in North Philly in March.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium plans to work with city officials and Temple University, home of the Liacouras Center, to decide whether another walk-up marathon vaccination clinic will be held in the future, 6ABC said.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium was formed against the start of the coronavirus pandemic to provide assistance to people of color in Philadelphia. The group is working with the city to provide COVID-19 tests and vaccines.