President Joseph Biden paid a visit to the Virginia Theological Seminary on Tuesday to tour Neighbor–hood Health’s vaccination clinic.
Neighborhood Health, a local provider of health services to underinsured and uninsured residents, is one of 250 health centers nationwide that was selected for Biden’s Community Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
Throughout the early stages of the pandemic, the organization provided free testing to many of the city’s most marginalized groups. Neighborhood Health now operates seven vaccination sites throughout Northern Virginia and has administered 19,000 vaccine doses, 85% of which went to people of color, according to Neighborhood Health.
The president’s visit came as the city transitioned into phase 1c of the vaccination process. According to the Virginia Department of Health guidelines, phase 1c expands eligibility to essential workers not previously covered in phases 1a or 1b, including those who work in energy, housing and construction, finance and media.
As of Wednesday, 67,868 doses have been administered in Alexandria, according to the city’s website: 41,702 people age 16 and up have received at least one dose, while 26,166 residents having been fully vaccinated.
The city expects to move into Phase 2, along with the rest of Virginia, by April 18, according to a news release. In Phase 2, every resident age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine
-wschick@alextimes.com
