PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A public coronavirus vaccination program for a Rhode Island city among the hardest hit in the state started Wednesday, with the current mayor, mayor-elect and health chief getting inoculated.
Up to 300 first doses of the Moderna vaccine were being administered at several community locations in Central Falls, including two public housing buildings and a Knights of Columbus hall, city officials said. Vaccinations are by appointment.
Mayor James Diossa, who leaves office this weekend; Mayor-elect Maria Rivera; and Dr. Michael Fine, the city’s health policy adviser, were among those vaccinated.
Rivera said it is important to set an example.
“There are a lot of things being said right now about the vaccine,” Rivera said. “Hearing it from us and seeing us getting the vaccine, I am sure a lot of our residents who have questions will now think about getting vaccinated.”
A second round of vaccinations is scheduled to begin Saturday.
The city was chosen for the first public clinics for a simple reason: “We’ve been the hardest hit by this pandemic,” Diossa said.
Central Falls is 1.3 square miles with a population of about 20,000.
More than 3,200 residents have tested positive for the virus and the city’s positivity rate — 28% — is the highest in the state, according to state Department of Health statistics.
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