Hundreds of people line up in Indio to get vaccinated



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“We’re going to have between 750 and 800 dates today.”

Jose Arballo, spokesperson for the Riverside County Public Health Department, has been at the forefront of the vaccine rollout in Riverside County. He was on site Sunday at the Indio Fairgrounds, which has become one of the last clinics to administer vaccines.

The clinic opened at 8:30 a.m. and was scheduled to go until 4:30 p.m.

Hundreds of people showed up. Most people stood in line for over an hour despite having a date.

“I feel good, exciting!” said Marietta Perkins, a resident of Palm Springs.

“I definitely don’t want to get the covid, so I just needed to get the shot,” said Dan Gibeau, a resident of La Quinta.

Each person had their own reasons for coming forward for the vaccine.

“I’m 73 years old, I was very, very careful. I haven’t seen my grandchildren for almost a year or my children. My mother-in-law lives in an assisted living facility, ”said a Palm Springs resident. Austin Buffum.

Since the opening of the first level of Phase 1B last week, more and more people have come to be vaccinated, even if it means standing in line for more than an hour.

Residents of level 1 of phase 1B have been given the green light to be vaccinated. The group included people aged 65 and over and some essential workers, such as those in education, child care, emergency services, and food and agriculture.

Vaccines are available for the following people who live or work in Riverside County:

  • Acute care
  • Qualified nursing facilities and assisted living facilities (medically vulnerable people)
  • First responders (paramedics / paramedics)
  • Correctional hospitals
  • Behavioral health (psychiatric)
  • Dialysis centers (staff)
  • Pharmacist and pharmacy staff
  • Intermediate care facilities
  • Education
  • Law enforcement
  • Home health and IHSS
  • Public health (field) / DPSS
  • Community health workers
  • Primary and community care clinics
  • Urgent care (autonomous)
  • Specialized clinics
  • Laboratory workers
  • Dental / oral health clinics
  • Mortuary service industries
  • Food and agriculture
  • Emergency services

“I would say the line is moving reasonably well. It is moving better than I expected,” Buffum said.

Lines wrapped around the Fullenwider auditorium. The weather on Sunday was not very welcoming with temperatures exceeding 80 degrees.

“There are too many people for what they’re trying to do. Why have dates if you have to queue for hours to get in? I appreciate having the vaccine, but it’s just mismanaged “said David White, a resident of La Quinta.

The county stressed that people will be turned away if they show up to a walk-in clinic.

“We find that the vast majority of people who book appointments show up,” Arballo said.

Sunday evening all appointments on the county website were made.

“With our nominations this week, we will be pretty much out of what we have now,” Arballo said.

The county is waiting for another shipment of vaccines to be able to make more appointments.

“We kept a certain amount for clinics like this, but the vast majority of the vaccine allocation went to our community partners – there are hospitals or clinics, other companies or entities,” he said. said Arballo.

Arballo said they hope to receive more vaccines in the coming days.

Last week, the window opened for the next group of people to get vaccinated besides healthcare workers alone.

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