Florida to start vaccine appointment system

“I know it sounds chaotic – 67 different counties, systems and interpretations – but health care is delivered locally,” Moskowitz told lawmakers. He said a registration system could help alleviate the strain counties are currently undergoing when issuing vaccines.

“We are working on a registration system that we plan to launch in the coming weeks to help integrate the site registration and resolve some of the issues we have all heard about,” he said.

The design of a statewide online portal is still under discussion and will be made available to counties – which are not required to use the system – to help them coordinate immunizations.

The governor has since sought to expand the number of vaccination sites. The state receives $ 194 million from the federal government to help distribute vaccines.

As of Wednesday, around 774,000 Floridians had received at least one injection of two federally approved vaccines. More than 1.5 million people have tested positive for the virus in the state since the start of the pandemic; nearly 24,000 died.

State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando-area Democrat, wants state officials to further expand vaccination sites and give seniors who may not have access to computers and at online portals the ability to register for vaccinations via their phone or in person.

“It shouldn’t be an online-only system,” he said. He also urged state officials to do a better job of reaching communities, especially those of color, who might be reluctant to trust the vaccine.

The pandemic has already had a considerable effect on the state’s economy, particularly in the tourism sector.

New jobless claims tripled last week in Florida as the novel coronavirus continued to wreak havoc on the tourism-dependent state.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that new jobless claims in the state climbed to 75,444 last week, from 24,697 the week before.

The high pace of layoffs has coincided with an economy that has weakened as snowbirds in Canada and the North American states stay away from Florida due to pandemic travel issues during what is typically a busy time of year for visitors to the Sunshine State. Although some snowbirds who own homes in Florida say they’ve been vaccinated here in the Sunshine State.

With states accountable to the federal government for supplies, no one can be sure when enough vaccine will be available to meet demand.

Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees told the Senate Health Policy Committee on Wednesday that Florida is receiving about a million doses per month – suggesting it could take several months before the general population can be fully immunized .

Rivkees, like the governor, urged patience.

“This vaccine is our silver lining,” Rivkees told the committee.

More vaccines are expected to gain federal approval in the coming months, which will surely bolster the state’s ability to immunize Florida’s 21.5 million people.

The state’s top Democrat, Senator Gary Farmer, acknowledged that the state is beholden to the federal government, but criticized DeSantis for his “lack of leadership” in the pandemic. Farmer said the vaccine distribution was in disarray due to the lack of a coherent plan to get the vaccines into the hands of Floridians.

In some vaccination sites, the elderly had to be turned away because vaccine quotas had run out. Dating websites have collapsed due to the demand crash.

“A lot of people are wondering, when are we going to get the vaccine and what does the schedule look like?” asked Senator Aaron Bean, a Republican.

“Is it fair to say that with the current offer, in layman’s terms, that with the current offer, it’s a maximum window of 22 months?” asked the senator.

Rivkees said he hoped other vaccines hit the market soon to potentially speed up the schedule.

“We are optimistic that more vaccines will follow in the short term,” Rivkees said.

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Lush reported from St. Petersburg, Florida and Mike Schneider contributed from Orlando.