What To Know About Gwinnett's Mass Coronavirus Vaccination Site

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — The heat is on to fight the coronavirus in Gwinnett County, and the Friday opening of its new mass vaccination center is just the beginning.

In a news release, county officials said the 80,000 square-foot vaccination site will begin this weekend to offer vaccinations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., by appointment. The site will be open seven days a week.

Currently, inoculations are only available to health care workers, first responders, long-term care residents, and people over the age of 65 and their caregivers. When the vaccine supply increases, more people will become eligible for a vaccine, county officials said.

Those with appointments to get vaccinated must provide an insurance card, Photo ID and proof of employment, if applicable, at the time of vaccination.

The site is located in the former Sears store of the Gwinnett Place Mall. Once supplies of the vaccine increase, the site will be able to vaccinate some 3,000 people each day. Today, the site can only inoculate an estimated 1,000 people each day.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday said more than a million people have been vaccinated so far in the Peach State, but that 2 million more eligible people remain on waitlists.

That could soon change, however. The Biden administration said it plans to release more vaccine supplies and increase Georgia's weekly vaccine allotment from 120,000 to 154,000, according to Kemp.

Vaccines at the site will be doled out by appointment, meaning it will only release as many time slots as it has doses of the vaccine, officials said. Registration data shows the site released 7,416 appointments on Wednesday, which were quickly filled.

Appointments can be made online.

Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments worked together to bring the site from a vacant store to a functional vaccination clinic in about two weeks, officials said. It is now designed to allow for social distancing, and it will come complete with an observation area where patients will sit for 15 to 30 minutes after getting a shot.

Paramedics will be on hand to respond should an emergency occur.

The site, funded by the CARES Act, will also continue to expand throughout the month and will soon offer drive-thru coronavirus testing as well, officials said.

“This will help protect the community and help us get back to normal, so the staff was very enthusiastic about getting this done," Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said in a statement, in part. "It was a great team effort, and I’m really proud of everyone involved.”

PHOTOS: Take A Look Inside The Gwinnett County Mass Vaccination Site

After the contract was approved in January, workers set to fixing up the space, including installing electrical outlets, replacing ceiling tiles, repairing plumbing and tuning up the building's HVAC system. Officials said the Sears space is being provided to the county at no cost through Dec. 31.

“It took a lot of coordination with GNR Health and the Department of Support Services with planning, Fire and Emergency Services with inspections, Planning and Development with plan review and onsite inspections, and Transportation with traffic improvements, to name just a few departments that worked to get the site up and running,” Hendrickson said.

Officials are now calling on residents to volunteer to help run the vaccination center. Those interested are asked to contact the Medical Reserve Corps online.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to participate, according to the corps. Exceptions will be made for people under 18 who are at least a high school junior and will be joined by an adult parent or guardian.

Volunteers are not required to have medical training and can work in an administrative capacity.

“GNR Health is thrilled to partner with Gwinnett County to provide a static mass vaccination site that is central to serve our county,” said Dr. Audrey Arona, district health director of the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments. “We a owe debt of gratitude to Chairwoman Hendrickson and her team for their contribution, including quickly readying the space for our use.”