Thursday, May 13, 2021
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Thursday, May 13: Mobile vax units at Wheeler Taft Library and Greyhound Park today; Here are other spots to find your shot
Pima County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have launched mobile vaccination units to reach vulnerable communities with high risks of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
The operation includes two mobile vaccination units that are able to administer 250 vaccines per day each, according to a county press release.
The units will run through June 26, operating at two concurrent locations for three days, with one day to tear down and move to the next location. The locations were selected based on census tract data and the Social Vulnerability Index of the area to identify highly vulnerable communities.
The sites will offer walk-up vaccinations of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 18 and older on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients will return to the same mobile site 28 days after their first visit to receive their second dose, following CDC guidance. Help will be available to all who need assistance with mobility, language or other accommodations.
Thursday, May 13
- Greyhound Park, 2601 S. 3rd Ave., 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Wheeler Taft Library, 7800 N. Schisler Drive, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.,
- Rillito Race Track, 4502 N. 1st Ave., 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- CDO High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia, Oro Valley, 4 - 7 p.m.
- Antigone Books, 411 N. 4th Ave., 5 - 9 p.m.
Friday, May 14
- Fox Tucson Theater, 17 W. Congress St., 4 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 15
- Our Lady of Fatima Parish, 1950 Irvington Place, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Dunbar Pavilion, 325 W. 2nd St., 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Robles Ranch Community Center, 16150 W. Ajo Way, Robles Junction, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 15 - Monday, May 17
- Curtis Park, 2110 W. Curtis Road, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Rillito Race Track, 4502 N. 1st Ave., 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 16
- Sacred Heart Church, 601 E. Fort Lowell Road, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tucson Medical Center has transferred its operations to the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. The site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Register at https://vaccine.tmcaz.com/MyChart/OpenScheduling.
Pima County has opened a new indoor vaccine site at the Kino Event Center, where the county had earlier been doing COVID testing. That site is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Register at azdhs.gov.
The county has also opened an indoor vaccination POD at El Pueblo Center, 101 W. Irvington Road, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
The drive-through POD at Banner-South Kino Stadium, 2500 E. Ajo Way, is now offering appointments between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. but will close permanently on May 14. Visit pima.gov/covid19vaccine for more details.
The UA vaccination point of distribution is now accepting anyone over the age of 16 who comes in for a shot.
The POD, which is scheduled to close at the end of June, offers a sit-down clinic in the Ina E. Gittings Building (1737 E. University Blvd.) from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
If you’d rather schedule an appointment, the state is expected to open new first-dose appointments daily at podvaccine.azdhs.gov. Call 602-542-1000 or 844-542-8201 for help in English or Spanish.
If you need help, call the COVID Ambassador Team hotline at 520-848-4045 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily or email covidhelp@arizona.edu.
CVS pharmacies are now accepting same-day COVID-19 vaccination appointments, and at some locations no appointment is necessary.
About 190 locations in Arizona are taking walk-ins, but appointments are also available within an hour of scheduling.
Walgreens announced it would offer same-day appointments at locations across the country as of this week. Patients can schedule appointments up to 30 minutes before the desired appointment time.
While Walgreens continues to encourage appointments, a Walgreens corporate spokesperson said, walk-ins have and continue to be accepted “if a time slot is available,” across all 8,800 Walgreens stores offering vaccinations.
As of Thursday, May 13, 417,800 people in Pima County had received at least one shot of the virus, accounting for 40% of the population. A total of 354,485 people were fully vaccinated.
Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing
Pima County is continuing to offer a number of testing centers and pop-up testing sites around town, including the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road. Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.
The University of Arizona’s antibody testing can determine if you have had COVID and now have antibodies. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.
Today’s numbers
With 544 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases rose past 871,000 as of Thursday, May 13, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 75 new cases today, has seen 115,905 of the state’s 871,168 confirmed cases.
With 8 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 17,438 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,407 deaths in Pima County, according to the May 13 report.
A total of 585 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of May 12. That’s roughly 11.5% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 12. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.
A total of 1,283 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on May 12. That number represents 55% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.
A total of 198 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on May 12, which roughly 17% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.
—with additional reporting from Christina Duran, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen
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