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The United Center will be a mass COVID-19 vaccination site capable of giving thousands of shots as the federal government ramps up its distribution capabilities, sources with knowledge of the plan said.
The vaccination site will be in the West Side stadium’s parking lot, which is unused due to restrictions on fans at basketball and hockey games, according to sources who were not authorized to speak publicly about the plan. An announcement is expected on Friday, and operations there could begin as soon as next month.
Crain’s Chicago Business first reported the news.
The federal government is running a similar program at California State University in Los Angeles and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
News of the mass vaccination site comes as government officials across the country are trying to increase the number of shots given each day while working to reach Black and Latino communities that have been hardest hit by the virus.
The city began its vaccination campaign with phase 1a in December, which included health care workers and long-term care facility residents and staffers.
A transitional stage between phase 1a and phase 1b began after, during which hospitals with leftover doses could start vaccinating their oldest and highest-risk patients.
Chicago is currently in vaccination phase 1b, which includes Chicagoans age 65 and older, and those living in non-health care congregate settings, such as shelters, and front-line essential workers, including teachers.
Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he was expanding the state’s vaccine eligibility criteria to include Illinois residents younger than age 65 who have preexisting health conditions. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle quickly decided in a joint statement not to follow Pritzker’s lead in expanding eligibility for Chicago and suburban Cook residents. Such a move, Lightfoot and Preckwinkle said, would add more than 1 million people to those already eligible.
Lightfoot and Arwady repeatedly have called for more vaccine to be shipped to Chicago.
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