Here’s when Arizona’s state-run COVID-19 vaccine sites will close
Jun 4, 2021, 4:01 PM | Updated: Jun 7, 2021, 9:39 am
(KTAR News Photo/Griselda Zetino)
(KTAR News Photo/Griselda Zetino)
PHOENIX — A day after Arizona health officials announced their seven state-run COVID-19 vaccination sites would be shuttered by June 28, a schedule of their closing dates was released.
The site at WestWorld in Scottsdale will be the first to close on June 19, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said Friday during a press conference.
Gila River Arena in Glendale, the lone remaining operation that is running seven days a week, will be the final one to close on June 28.
ASU’s Desert Financial Arena point of dispensing will close its doors June 24.
Dexcom in Mesa and University of Arizona in Tucson will end operations June 25 before the Yuma Convention Center and Northern Arizona locations close June 26.
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All sites except Glendale have been operating under condensed hours and days as demand has slowed to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Operations will shift to community-based opportunities after the state sites close.
“One of the things that we have been working on in Arizona is expanding vaccine access and ensuring equity to the vaccine,” Christ said. “So you will see that we are going to shift our focus from our state mass vaccination PODs to our community-based vaccination opportunities.”
Saturday will be the final day people will be able to get a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine and schedule a second dose appointment at the state PODs.
Individuals can still receive first doses at state points of dispensing after Saturday but will have to get their second shot at an alternate location.
Christ said the state PODs could be reactivated in a timely manner if necessary.
“We can stand these sites up relatively quickly, so if there is a big push for demand or we had a surge in cases, we would just be able to stand up sites and vaccinate people as well,” Christ said.
More than 1.6 million doses have been administered to nearly 900,000 people at state vaccine locations since the first one opened at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 11.
