Are you 75 and scheduled for a COVID shot? St. Clair County wants to give you a free ride
When St. Clair County’s mass vaccination site is up and running at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, eligible people 75 and up can get a free ride to get their shots, officials announced Friday.
You also must have a confirmed vaccination appointment for the site through the St. Clair County Health Department to be able to use the free public transportation, according to the St. Clair County Transit District.
Officials said Friday the mass vaccination center in Belleville will open Monday.
“Our goal in providing this free service is simple,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of St. Clair County Transit District’s board of trustees and the county’s Emergency Management Agency Director. “We want to help increase public access to these vaccinations by providing a safe, efficient, convenient and free-of-charge ride to those in our community. Our hope is to continue to provide this service as additional subsets of the population are able to receive the vaccinations.”
People eligible for the shots will be able to take the MetroBus or MetroLink to the Belleville Transit Center. A St. Clair County Transit District Express Shuttle at the center will take riders to and from the fairgrounds. The service will run Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., starting as early as Monday, if the vaccination center is open by then.
The free transportation is being funded through the federal Coronaviurs Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
St. Clair County is set to being vaccinating people in the 1B category in the coming days. The county has determined that people 75 years and older will be the first among the 1B group to receive their initial vaccine dose.
Here are the people who are included in the 1B group:
People who are 65 years old or older
Firefighters
Law enforcement officers
911 workers
Security personnel
Teachers, principals and school support staff members
Daycare workers
Food and agriculture workers
Manufacturing workers
Corrections workers and inmates
U.S. Postal Service workers
Public transit workers, including those who work for ride-sharing services
Grocery store workers
Staff members at homeless shelters and women’s shelters
People who receive their first shot will need to return for their second doses several weeks later, depending on which vaccine they are administered.
People who wish to receive a notification when they may be eligible to receive the vaccine in St. Clair County can fill out a COVID-19 Vaccine Notification Sign Up Form at the county website at www.co.st-clair.il.us.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 12:34 PM.