| Palm Springs Desert Sun
Riverside County has announced several new clinic dates for the coming week. Appointments will open at noon on Saturday.
Approximately 10,000 consultations will be available to healthcare professionals at all levels of Phase 1A; essential workers in Phase 1B Tier 1; and individuals 65 and older, officials said. All clinics on Mondays and Fridays will be reserved for the elderly only.
The clinics will be located in Corona, Menifee, Beaumont and Indio.
“This is good news for many of our residents who are extremely anxious to get the vaccine,” said Karen Spiegel, chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, in a statement on Friday. “We are also looking forward to receiving our weekly vaccine shipments so that we can offer more consultations. The county team is doing an excellent job of vaccinating thousands of people at these public health clinics within days of receiving the vaccine. “
Scheduling complaints, though common, as residents, including many elderly people, struggle with a queasy website and busy phone lines. The county acknowledged the problems on Thursday and later changed the site link.
County officials said there was a technical problem with the site’s code, which was discovered at the same time as the site opened the 3,900 hours available on Thursday.
Commitments: Riverside County vaccine clinics open in 32 minutes amid failures
More: Independent California seniors frustrated by the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine
The following locations will have vaccine clinics from Monday, January 25th to Friday, January 29th. Opening hours are from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. It is necessary to schedule appointments at all locations, every day. On Mondays and Fridays, the venues will only be open to seniors. From Tuesday to Thursday, the clinics will be open to all those eligible – with a consultation, proof of eligibility, a valid identity document and, if part-time resident, proof of residence.
- Corona: Corona High School, 1150 W. 10th St.
- Menifee: Heritage High School, 26-001 Briggs Rd.
- Beaumont: San Gorgonio Secondary School, 1591 Cherry Ave.
- Indian: Indio Fairgrounds (Fullenwider Auditorium), 46-350 Arabia St.
“If an individual cannot show proof of eligibility or does not have an appointment, they will be refused,” the county said in the note. Medical insurance information will be requested, but is not mandatory, according to the county.
The new website address is rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine. The county is advising residents 65 and over who need help registering for a 2-1-1 appointment, although residents report problems with the phone lines.
Juan Perez, the county’s interim CEO, said the county’s Aging Office is picking up names of callers asking for help so he can follow up.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION: No, you cannot ‘go up’ to COVID-19 vaccine clinics without registering
Snowbirds: Part-time residents eligible to receive vaccines
Public information officer Brooke Federico said the 2-1-1 system is working to add more attendants, who speak English and Spanish, to handle an expected increase in calls for the next round of appointments. The problems on Thursday’s website sent a stream of people calling the county hotline, which also failed, she said.
After clicking the button to sign up for an appointment, the subsequent portal is administered by the state. If all appointments are scheduled when completing the state registration, users cannot guarantee a time.
Maria Sestito covers aging and the elderly population in Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun. She is also a Report for America member and new to the desert. Please say “hello” via [email protected] or @RiaSestito.