CLEVELAND — As 2020 is set to come to a close, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson spoke to residents about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccine for the coronavirus, and important prevention efforts in a live Tele Town Hall on Wednesday evening.
Many of the questions in the one-hour town hall dealt with concerns about the new coronavirus variant, which has sprung up in California and Colorado this week. Jackson was also asked about how the COVID-19 vaccine would be distributed within the community, including at the city's senior living centers and those who live in high-rise buildings.
"We've identified 97 senior facilities and buildings in the city of Cleveland. We are currently creating mobile units and are looking at having them go out to high-rises, administer the vaccine, and coordinate with the managers of the buildings," Jackson answered.
The mayor noted that the infrastructure for the mobile units from the Cleveland Division of Fire and the city's Division of Medical Service is still being put into place.
"What we're attempting to do is not just rely on hospitals and pharmacies, we're attempting to build an infrastructure ourselves so we can handle the needs of the people of the city of Cleveland, knowing don't have the capacity to handle everybody. We want to be as prepared as we can be so we'll be able to make a significant impact in providing the vaccine in an efficient way," Jackson explained.
Jackson's town hall came as the city reports that there have been 18,618 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cleveland, including 214 in the last 24 hours and 180 fatalities. Statewide, 8,178 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last day. In total there have been 690,748 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 8,855 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths.
At a news conference last week, Jackson revealed that while he plans on receiving the coronavirus vaccine, he won't be skipping the line and will wait his turn to do so.
"Yes, I will get the vaccine," Jackson said. "And I will wait my turn. As soon as whenever it is my turn, then I will get my shot."
Additionally, Jackson announced that Cleveland's first phase of distributing the coronavirus vaccine will include paramedics, EMTs, Fire-EMS and airport fire rescue squads receiving the vaccine. This doesn't include the hospital frontline workers and congregate living communities that are receiving the vaccine through the state of Ohio's first phase of the distribution
According to Jackson, Cleveland is expecting to initially receive 4,000 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
You can listen to the entire Tele Town Hall in the player below:
The state of Ohio reported on Wednesday that it has received a little more than 529,900 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. 271,000 doses have come from Moderna and 258,000 from Pfizer.
During his coronavirus briefing, Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio is expected to receive more than 238,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines next week.
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Editor's Note: The below video of Frank Jackson's virtual press conference was from December 22, 2020