Pop-Up Sites Proliferate as the Supply Stream Opens Up
By Barrett Seaman—
Working with the Rite Aid chain of pharmacies, the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow announced today that they will hold a one-day “pop-up” vaccination site at the Sleepy Hollow Middle School gym on Saturday, March 20th. Appointments will be first-come/first-serve for those who register using https://seam.ly/uJvUJQpU.
The one-day site will follow a sign-up protocol similar to what Dobbs Ferry used in scheduling 500 eligible residents for its pop-up site that took place on Saturday, March 6. These sites are managed by the individual local governments in cooperation with Rite Aid and are separate from the state-sponsored programs, such as recent ones in Peekskill and Mt. Kisco, that have been limited to residents of specific zip codes.
At Sleepy Hollow, the shots will also go to the first 500 applicants. First doses of the Moderna vaccine will be administered on March 20th from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p,m, and the required second doses will follow on Saturday April 17, also from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and at the same location, which is the Sleepy Hollow Middle School Gym (the old High School Gym), 210 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow.
“This is a four-way partnership among the Villages of Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow, Rite Aid and the School District,” says Tarrytown Assistant Village Administrator Josh Ringel. “Everyone is doing their part. Rite-Aid has been very accommodating and has been a breeze to work with, as has the School District in allowing us to use their space. We are extremely excited to bring the vaccine in locally on a wider scale for our 65+ residents.”
These pop-up sites specifically target seniors 65 and older and not other eligible categories currently authorized by the state, including those diagnosed with a comorbidity, those serving as a frontline healthcare worker or other essential worker such as a teacher or firefighter. Grocery store and supermarket workers, also now eligible, are encouraged to go through their employers or unions to arrange for appointments. Walk-ins are not eligible.
As the supply stream has opened up nationally for various state and commercial distributors, vaccination sites are popping up all over. Governor Cuomo announced the opening of three short-term sites in Dutchess, Genesee and Cattaraugus Counties. On Wednesday, the mega-site at the Quincy Place National Guard Armory in Yonkers began accepting applicants beyond the initial seven local zip codes.
On Thursday, the governor reported an additional 12 state-sponsored pop-up sites, including one at the Ambulance Corps headquarters on Main Street in Ossining. Cuomo also announced that Yankee Stadium in the Bronx will begin distributing the newly approved Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine. The short-term site at Marist College in Dutchess County will also be using the J&J version, as will many CVS pharmacies (though local branches were all booked up as of Friday).
For the March 20 Sleepy Hollow site, organizers are looking to recruit approximately 30 volunteers willing to work in one of three four-hour shifts—7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. until the close. Those interested should email Josh Ringel, Assistant Village Administrator, at jringel@tarrytowngov.com.