COVID-19 photos now available to Florida residents over 50

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – All Florida residents age 50 or older have become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Monday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday modified his executive order by reducing the age, saying that nearly 70% of Florida’s senior citizens have been vaccinated and demand is falling among those currently eligible for vaccines.

As of Sunday, only people aged 60 and over, health professionals, school staff, first responders aged 50 and over, and people deemed clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 by a doctor were eligible for vaccines in Florida.

“We are excited about progress,” said DeSantis. “I think the demand is slowed down enough so that the opening for more than 50 is good. We will monitor to see how the next week is going. “

There were long queues when the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s vaccination site at Gateway Mall opened on Monday morning – queues longer than the views since the site opened weeks ago. There was also extra security and a television production company was preparing to anticipate Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to the site on Monday afternoon, during a visit to Jacksonville.

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“It was very easy,” said Linda Knight after receiving her first dose. “They explained everything before they did it to me and then they sat me down for 15 minutes so that when I got up, they knew I was already there. When I got up, I looked at that young man and said, ‘I feel good!’ “

At the end of the day, before Harris’s visit to the site, there were smaller queues. News4Jax photographer Kevin Talley was eligible to receive the vaccine on Monday and went through in less than 20 minutes.

“I am surprised at how efficient it is. It is not a waste of time. You come in, give them your information, they give you a chance, ”he said. “You are there 20 minutes. You have to wait 15 minutes for a reaction. It is efficient. “

Mercedes Parker, who was vaccinated on the spot, believes that, like many others, age restrictions should be abolished altogether.

“I believe they should give everyone a chance to be vaccinated,” said Parker.

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DeSantis said the next step will be to open vaccination for anyone who wants to.

“I can’t say when exactly that will happen, but I can say that it will definitely be before May 1st. That’s not even a question, so stay tuned, ”said DeSantis.

At around 11 am on Monday, at the state vaccination post at Regency Square Mall, there was no queue.

WHEN? WHERE? HOW? Vaccination in Northeast Florida

As of Sunday, the Florida Department of Health said, 4,911,786 people received at least one dose of vaccine and 2,713,248 are fully vaccinated – that’s almost 22% of all adults in the state.

DeSantis’ announcement came a day after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he is making vaccines available to people aged 40 and over in the Orlando area that is home to several major theme parks. DeSantis criticized the decision.

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“It’s not his decision,” said DeSantis. “Orange County is below the state average for vaccinated seniors. They are at 63%. Trying to take care of healthy 40-year-olds instead of maybe meeting a few more seniors, for me, would not be the direction I would go. “

On Friday morning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that county-administered vaccination sites will open on March 29 for anyone aged 40 and over.

On Saturday, Florida surpassed 2 million cases of COVID-19 since the first cases were identified on March 1, 2020.