COVID Vaccination Site Opens In Chinatown To Help Area Seniors With Access
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A new COVID-19 vaccination site opened Monday in the Chinatown area to help seniors who may have difficulty making online appointments or those who may be hesitant to leave their homes due to recent acts of hate targeting Asians.
"Right now we know that Chinatown's population (aged) 65-plus is behind the curve in terms of who has access to the vaccine," County Supervisor Hilda Solis said during the site's opening ceremony. "Not all of them have access to the internet or have a family member that can help them navigate the MyTurn application (website)."
The site, located at 711 W. College St., will be open five days a week and offer both appointment and walk-up vaccinations. Bilingual staff will also be on hand.
"The best (part) about it in my estimation is that you have people that speak their language, so this trust issue about understanding who's the messenger, who's talking to them in their language, is absolutely very important," Solis said.
The site was expected to administer about 500 doses on Monday, with the capability of administering up to 800 per day.
Solis said placing the site in the heart of Chinatown will hopefully encourage more residents to seek out vaccinations.
"There's so much distrust right now," she said. "People are even afraid in Chinatown to come out of their homes, especially our elderly. As you know there has been a recent influx of anti-Asian hate, and we know that it's real. And the feeling out there is one of concern. But we are working with our community, with the Chinatown alliance here ... and all the community organizations to see that we can stand up ... and make sure they get the services that they deserve."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
