Editor鈥檚 note: This story was originally published by the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
The clock is ticking for people who want to get vaccinated for the coronavirus at St. Clair County鈥檚 drive-thru, mass-vaccination clinic at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville.
The clinic will close on May 30, according to St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, who made the announcement Sunday afternoon as part of a live-streamed COVID-19 briefing on the Facebook page.
鈥淚f people want to take advantage of the convenience that is offered (at the fairgrounds), they鈥檒l need to get in there now, especially with the two-dose shot,鈥� Kern said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got to make sure that they鈥檝e got time for that three weeks in between.鈥�
The clinic is primarily administering the 21 days apart.
Kern and other county officials who participated in the briefing didn鈥檛 say directly why they鈥檙e closing the clinic at the end of May, but they acknowledged that demand for shots has dropped.
鈥淚t has slowed down overall,鈥� said Myla Blandford, deputy director of the St. Clair County Health Department. 鈥淥ur top numbers were about 2,700 per day, and so now we鈥檙e down probably under 1,000 per day. We鈥檙e seeing that across the state and throughout the United States.鈥�
After the Belle-Clair clinic closes, county residents still will be able to get vaccinated for the coronavirus at the health department location at 330 W. Main St. in downtown Belleville.
But Blandford is strongly encouraging people to go ahead and do it while the Belle-Clair clinic is still operating. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. No appointment is necessary from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty quick,鈥� Blandford said, noting kids of patients can stay in the back seats of cars since the clinic is drive-thru. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e in and out. It鈥檚 right there. It鈥檚 a great resource for the community to take advantage of while it鈥檚 still there.鈥�
, when only people age 75 and older were eligible to get vaccinated for the coronavirus in Illinois. Today, it鈥檚 anyone 16 and older.
Teri Maddox is a reporter with the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
