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PHOENIX – Additional workers are being added to meet high demand at state-run COVID-19 vaccination sites, the governor’s office said on Wednesday.
FULL COVERAGE: COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona
In a press release, Gov. Ducey’s office said the extra people will ensure staffing needs are met during all shifts and shift changes.
State health officials said on Tuesday they were lining up outside State Farm Stadium, citing several issues, including a 2pm shift change, a supply issue and the heat.
Ducey says state staff are mobilizing to complement existing paid staff and volunteers at vaccination sites. Nearly 90 additional members of the National Guard will also join the vaccination effort on Thursday.
Officials say Arizona is also adding additional paid staff at vaccination sites.
JUST IN: A day after showing the long lines to get the vaccine at State Farm Stadium, a lot of changes.
The state is moving to a paid staffing model for the “majority of staff”.
Volunteer shifts will be reduced from 8 am to 6 am.
90 other members of the AZ National Guard https://t.co/D5KxX1vfBW pic.twitter.com/SlQuvJK18M
– Nicole Grigg (@NicoleSGrigg) March 31, 2021
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is implementing the following changes, which they believe will speed up queues at state-run sites:
- Closely monitor flow and hold times to quickly implement adjustments and countermeasures;
- Addition of 30 additional paid employees per shift;
- Switch to a paid staffing model for the majority of staff;
- Strive to reduce no-shows by people registered as volunteers and stabilize volunteer participation levels;
- Open more locations for volunteers to improve volunteer performance
- Reducing volunteer shifts from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. when the new night-time hours of operation begin at State Farm Stadium on April 4 at 5 p.m.
- Partnership with businesses and organizations to increase volunteer performance;
- Require patients to arrive closer to their scheduled appointment time – the site will no longer accept patients arriving more than 2 hours before the scheduled appointment time;
- Improve traffic control in and around the state vaccination site; and
- Addition of a new separate entrance for staff and volunteers
At 11 a.m. every Friday, the ADHS makes appointments available at state-run sites for the following week.
Registration for these and many other sites is available at podvaccine.azdhs.gov or by calling 844-542-8201 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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