BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County is getting more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says the county is receiving 7,280 doses from New York State this week. He also revealed a third point of distribution (POD) clinic somewhere in Buffalo is in the works and hopes it will be up and running by next week.
Poloncarz said this site is not the hoped for mass vaccination site planned for the Buffalo Convention Center, which he says, is still waiting approval from New York State.
Those 7,000-plus doses will be distributed to essential workers (1,770), OPWDD residents and staff (300), those with comorbidities (1,570), and those age 65 and older (3,640).
Poloncarz also reminded the public that starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, appointments will open for the state-run clinic at the Delavan-Grider Community Center for all Erie County residents who are currently eligible to get the vaccine. Thanks to the increased availability of the vaccine, the site, which was only expected to operate through March, is now expected to run through April as well.
Poloncarz also said the county is hopefully getting some 200 doses of the newly approved Johnson and Johnson doses to vaccinate homebound residents including a group of elderly nuns in the area.
Erie County's current seven-day positivity rate stands at 3.5 percent.
Poloncarz says the annual Dyngus Day parade will not take place this year again due to the pandemic. However, organizers say they are not canceling the parade, instead limiting the amount of parade participants and the number of people per vehicle.
It was previously announced that the Old First Ward and downtown St. Patrick's Day parades will not go forward for the second year in a row.
