Yesterday, Governor Northam announced that as of April 18, Virginia will move to Phase 2 of vaccinations, which means that all Virginians 16 years and older will be eligible for the COVID vaccine.
What does this mean for Arlington residents? It's good news; it reflects an increase in the supply of vaccines to Arlington. For those in 1b such as those with underlying medical conditions or 1c workers it also means are likely to get an invitation over the next 3 weeks.
The state has indicated it will increase our vaccine supply for Monday and the coming 2 Mondays after that – which means today we are sending out a large number of invitations and we’re going to be able to work our way through our list of residents in 1a, 1b and 1c more quickly:
We’re expanding our vaccine clinics to handle the new capacity and have a very aggressive schedule planned for the next few weeks.
We’re also committed to making sure all of you who ARE pre-registered with us as one of those 1a, 1b, and 1c priority groups WILL be notified to schedule appointments before we go to Phase 2.
And if we get the supply and keep up that schedule, we should be able to open that phase 2 eligibility to all adults by the week of April 18.
But, the fact that we will open appointments up to all adults on April 18th doesn’t mean everyone will be vaccinated in April. When Phase 2 begins, there are going to be a lot of people eligible, so it won’t happen overnight.
Even with that significant caveat, unless their are challenges in supply or unforeseen problems, all Arlingtonians who want a vaccine should be able to get at least their first dose of the vaccine over the coming 8 weeks. That's a big step forward for us in the County’s vaccination efforts.
Please -- if you haven’t done so already – preregister for the vaccine at vaccinate.virginia.gov. And if you’ve already preregistered but haven’t yet been notified, please go in and check your record again to make sure everything is accurate and up to date.
We are all working hard to serve you, and we certainly understand your questions and concerns. We know that has been a long and difficult road – but we are making real progress.
More light every day on the way out of COVID's dark tunnel,
