Press Release: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Solano County Seniors in Benicia

NEWS RELEASE
February 1, 2021 COVID-19

Benicia, CA— The City of Benicia announced Friday that it is hosting a Solano Public Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. The clinic is being held for seniors, aged 75 and above, who reside in Solano County. Due to overwhelming response, all 1,400 slots were filled by Saturday afternoon.

Solano Public Health is working to schedule additional events as vaccine stock becomes available. Those, aged 75 and above, interested in future Benicia clinics may visit www.tinyurl.com/beniciavaccine and leave their name and contact information. City of Benicia staff will reach out if another local clinic is scheduled. Information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Solano County and announcements of additional clinics are available at https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/ph/.

The Moderna vaccine will be administered to registered seniors at Benicia Senior Center on Tuesday. Check-in will be at Benicia City Gym, 180 East L Street. Because of limited, socially distant waiting space available, seniors are asked to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their appointment. Appointments will be honored even if lines cause delay. One caretaker is allowed with the person being vaccinated. Caretakers will not receive the vaccination. Due to heavy traffic expected in the area, limited parking will be available. Suggested options:

• Those who are more mobile are asked to use street parking farther away and walk in.
• There will be a dedicated drop-off zone in front of the City Gym for less ambulatory seniors. Please do not wait for seniors and linger in the pickup or drop-off zones to prevent further congestion. Keep in touch with your seniors before picking them up.
• Carpooling with those in the same social bubble is encouraged.
• SolTrans is assisting by providing free shuttles to and from dedicated parking lots:
  • Benicia Community Center, 370 East L Street
  • Benicia Unified School District Office, 350 East K Street

“The opportunity to host the clinic came about quickly and involves nearly every City of Benicia staff member,” said City Manager Erik Upson. “We will assess the event on Tuesday and use that to improve the experience when we host the follow-up clinic to administer the second dose on March 2.” Upson also thanks Solano Public Health, Kaiser Permanente, SolTrans, Medic Ambulance, Carquinez Village, Valero Benicia Refinery, Rotary Club of Benicia, and numerous community volunteers for their generous assistance in making the clinic possible.

During check-in, seniors will be required to show proof of age and proof of Solano County residency. After check-in, seniors will be directed to the Benicia Senior Center where they will receive their vaccination, then be observed for 15-30 minutes. The entire process may take up to one hour. After which, seniors may be picked up from the dedicated pick-up zone in the round-about in front of the Benicia Public Library, 150 East L Street, or return to their shuttle stop. City of Benicia staff and volunteers will be manning a dedicated phone line from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday at 707.746.4710 to assist with questions or issues that may arise.

The second dose of the vaccine will be administered in the same location on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Seniors are to return for the second dose at the same appointment time.

Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has been the public transportation provider for south Solano County since July 2011. SolTrans provides local and SolanoExpress fixed routes, complementary paratransit, and subsidized Lyft programs. The agency is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that is governed by a six-member Board of Directors, composed of two representatives from the cities of Benicia and Vallejo, Solano County’s representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and a representative from the Solano Transportation Authority.

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