COVID-19 cases rise by 277 in Marion County
Austin L. MillerAl Pendergrass and his wife, Martha Warner, stood against the wall in the observation room at the Heart of Florida Health Center, waiting for their 15 minutes to be over. If they're feeling fine after 15 minutes, they could go home.
Minutes before, the Silver Springs couple was down the hall receiving their COVID-19 vaccination shot.
Pendergrass, 72 and Warner, 66, said they're high risk and wanted to be safe.
"It didn't hurt," Pendergrass said about taking the shot.
The couple was among hundreds of people age 65 and older who went to the HFHC at 2553 E. Silver Springs Blvd. on Saturday to get their COVID-19 vaccinations.
HFHC CEO Jamie Ulmer said earlier in the week that HFHC staff vaccinated more than 1,200 medical or dental office employees.
Ulmer said they expect to administer anywhere from 800 to 1,000 vaccines to people 65 and older during the event that began at 8 a.m. By the afternoon, HFHC officials said they had vaccinated more than 1,100 people.
Although Pendergrass and Warner had appointments for Saturday, Ulmer said they would give vaccines to those without an appointment.
Officials from the HFHC said they've partnered with the Florida Department of Health to offer and perform 10,000 COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the pandemic.
HFHC is a federally qualified nonprofit health center founded in 2009 as a successor to Community Health Services Inc. The organization's mission is to improve the overall health status of Marion County residents by providing quality primary medical, dental and mental health services.
The agency has several locations throughout Marion County that will be equipped to provide the vaccine for anyone who needs it.
Facilities such as the HFHC are needed at a time when the virus continues to show no signs of slowing down.
On Friday, state health officials reported Marion County had 20,040 cumulative COVID-19 cases and 498 deaths.
From Dec. 26 to Thursday — a span of 12 days — the daily positivity rate was more than 12 percent in Marion County, according to state health officials. The positivity rate for Jan. 8 was 18.83 percent.
Marion County's COVID-19 related cases released by the state on Saturday shows they increased by 277 from the day before to a total of 20,317. The COVID-19 related deaths remain at 498.
Of the 20,317 cases, 9,400 are in the age group 25 through 54. Those ages 65 and older account for 419 of the 498 deaths.
According to the state's Department of Health figures, 4,668 people were vaccinated as of Thursday in Marion County. The number was 6,357 for Friday, an increase of 1,689.
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The HFHC's approximately 67,000-square-foot building was divided into different sections in preparation for administering the COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday.
Outside, staff greeted patients by an in-take area where they filled out a form. From there, patients were escorted to the vaccination room. Nearby, staff prepared the vaccines.
Yasmin Ramasco, a nurse practitioner in the vaccination room, said they educate patients about the shots.
Assisting HFHC staff with vaccinations were two people from Ocala Regional Medical Center's education residence assistant program.
Once people are vaccinated, they're given a shot card that has their information and instructions. Attached to the shot card is a sticky note with the time they have to wait.
They're then shuttled to the observation room where they wait for 15 minutes. That's to make sure they have no reactions to the vaccine.
James Follins, 82, of Ocala, said he has been getting the flu shot since 1975. He encourages everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
."I need to get a shot," he said.
Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.