ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – In an effort to make the COVID-19 vaccine accessible to all seniors, Orange County Commissioner Regina Hill announced a partnership with Pegasus Transportation to provide rides to seniors to and from the FEMA site at Valencia College.
“We have gotten over 1,000 shots in arms,” Hill said.
At 10 a.m. on Thursday seniors at Lake Lorna Doone Senior Living Apartments will be offered a ride to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“They’ve been living in isolation, so they have been depressed,” Hill said.
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The partnership is aimed at eliminating barriers for underserved seniors. While speaking in Sumter County Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized his Seniors First approach and said nearly 60% of seniors have been vaccinated in Florida. This amounts to about 3 million people.
It’s an approach DeSantis said paves the way to expand vaccinations.
“As you get above 67%, it does begin to slow down demand, so I think we have timed this right, where we will [at] 60% statewide,” DeSantis said.
Commissioner Hill said access, technology, and means makes it difficult for seniors to get a shot in their arm to shield them from the virus.
“What this pandemic has exposed is the lack of healthcare, many in our urban core do not have healthcare providers or a primary physician. With that you are not able to meet the qualification because you need your doctor’s consent,” Hill said.