What’s New This Week

• Governor Northam announced that all individuals in Virginia age 16 and older will be eligible by April 18 to get the COVID-19 vaccine, ahead of the May 1 nationwide goal set by President Biden.
• Everyone eligible for vaccination in Phase 1a or 1b who has pre-registered has either received an invitation to make an appointment or will in the next two weeks. The Virginia Department of Health is shifting allocations to local health districts that need help meeting demand in Phase 1. 
• The pre-registration form at vaccinate.virginia.gov now allows users to update their records to indicate that they have already been vaccinated, to avoid receiving future reminder and appointment invitations.
• With 4 million doses of vaccine administered so far in Virginia, more than one in three adults have received at least one dose and one in five adults are fully vaccinated. Virginia is administering vaccine doses as quickly as they are provided by the federal government.
• Twenty-two of Virginia’s 35 local health districts have already started vaccinating essential workers in Phase 1c after providing appointments to everyone eligible in Phases 1a or 1b on the pre-registration list. Beginning April 4, districts that have invited everyone pre-registered in Phase 1c may invite members of the general public (Phase 2) who have pre-registered. Those at highest risk will continue to receive priority in the scheduling process.
• Governor Ralph Northam announced several efforts aimed at increasing Virginia’s vaccinator workforce. Health care providers who are now authorized to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia include but are not limited to dentists, dental hygienists, veterinarians, optometrists, and health professions students enrolled in an accredited Virginia program. Eligible providers may serve as vaccinators if they have the appropriate training and meet the supervision requirements. Eligible health care providers may register to volunteer as a COVID-19 vaccinator through either the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (for volunteers to help respond to a variety of public health emergencies) or the newly-established Virginia Volunteer Vaccinator Registry (for volunteers who only wish to serve as COVID-19 vaccinators). Approved vaccination providers may request volunteer vaccinator support. Last month, the Governor issued Third Amended Executive Order Fifty-Seven to provide additional flexibility for vaccinators.
• A fifth Community Vaccination Center (CVCs) will open in Suffolk next week, following those in the Chesterfield/Petersburg, Danville, Portsmouth, and Prince William areas. These high-volume vaccination clinics are organized by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Virginia Department of Health in collaboration with local health districts; funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and operated by a turnkey contractor. FEMA has also opened a mass vaccination clinic in Norfolk as part of its Supplemental Allocation Vaccine Effort (SAVE) pilot program. Like local clinics, the CVC and FEMA sites are by appointment only, with invitations sent to eligible individuals on the statewide pre-registration list. Locations were selected based on an equity analysis to determine the communities with the most vulnerable populations and the greatest impact from COVID-19. Additional CVCs will open across Virginia in the coming weeks.
• The most recent amendments to Executive Order 72 took effect April 1, including the increase in the limit on social gatherings from 10 to 50 indoors and from 25 to 100 outdoors. Limits for entertainment and public amusement venues remain at 30% occupancy, but the cap for indoor venues has increased from 250 to 500 persons, and the cap for outdoor gatherings has been removed. The number of spectators allowed at recreational sporting events has increased from 25 to 100 indoors, and from 250 to 500 outdoors, and remains limited at 30% capacity. Amended guidelines for business sectors are also available.

Key Overview Points

• Virginia is administering vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. All three vaccines are safe and virtually eliminate the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. While there are a variety of differences between the three vaccines, the most important is that Johnson & Johnson only requires one dose rather than the two doses required by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Vaccine brands are assigned to clinics based on logistics needs such as shipping quantities and storage temperatures, and not based on demographics or geography. A comparison fact sheet is available in English and Spanish.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance on March 8 about what people can do when they are fully vaccinated (which occurs two weeks after their final vaccine dose), and guidance on April 2 about travel by people who are fully vaccinated. The guidance notes that because public health researchers are still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19, even people who are fully vaccinated should keep taking precautions in public places like wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Executive Order 72 maintains limits on social gatherings; the requirement to wear masks in public places; guidelines for businesses; and other provisions.
• About a third of vaccine doses in Virginia are now being administered by retail pharmacy locations. These pharmacies are currently providing vaccination appointments to anyone eligible in Phase 1b, which includes people age 65 and older, people with high-risk medical conditions, and frontline essential workers. Pharmacies may expand to Phase 1c on April 11 and Phase 2 (general public) on April 18. Individuals interested in getting vaccinated at a local pharmacy may visit VaccineFinder.org to find eligible pharmacy locations, hours, phone numbers, and scheduling links where available. While many pharmacies have continued to work directly with local health districts to vaccinate vulnerable populations, some pharmacies have online scheduling for vaccine appointments.
• A public information toolkit is available to assist local health districts, localities, and community partners with graphics, talking points, frequently asked questions, and other materials.