The calendar is ready to go to 2021, but don’t turn the page on the coronavirus pandemic yet.
The new year came amid record cases and rising hospitalization rates across Louisiana, even as vaccine distribution began to filter across the state. This distribution will begin to expand on Monday, January 4, when pharmacies begin receiving doses for distribution on site, according to Christina Stephens, communications director for Governor John Bel Edwards’ government.
But who is qualified to receive the vaccine now? And who’s next?
The new year is here, and so are many new coronavirus testing sites across the Baton Rouge area, as cases arise across Louisiana.
state officials released details of the distribution plans which will take effect on January 4, 2021 on who is eligible to receive the vaccine immediately, as well as who is on deck for the next wave.
WHO RECEIVES IT NOW?
PHASE 1A (249 thousand people)
- Frontline health personnel
- Residents and employees of nursing homes and long-term care institutions
- Emergency medical services and firefighters
PHASE 1B, TIER 1 (640 thousand people)
- Allied student and health care schools
- End-stage renal health service staff and customers
- Home agency patients and staff
- Outpatient, outpatient, medical, dental and behavioral health clinic staff
- People aged 70 and over
This is who’s “on deck” in Louisiana after Priority Group 1B, Level 1.
These people (1B, Level 2) below are NOT yet eligible, but will be eligible in the future. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/1zY8IibOSr
– Christina Stephens 🎄😷 (@CEStephens) December 31, 2020
…
WHO IS NEXT?
PHASE 1B, TIER2 (318 thousand people)
* no order specified
- Health-related support staff (including laboratories, morgue and pharmacy)
- Essential government response personnel
- Judicial staff
- Department of Homeland Security personnel, National Guard (not deployed by Covid), federal intelligence and security personnel, military personnel
- The first respondents are not covered in Phase 1A
- Correction officers and jailers
- Medical transport services
- Shelter for homeless and other home teams and group center
- Elementary and high school staff and daycare
- Agricultural and food processing workers
- Postal staff
- Public transport workers
- Grocery workers and other workers considered essential to the front line
As of December 31, the state had administered 45,289 doses of the vaccine, Stephens said.
Governor Edwards reported on Thursday that Louisiana did not have a “single adverse reaction” linked to any of these doses of vaccine.
The day after Louisiana saw a record increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, Governor John Bel Edwards announced that the vaccine will be available…