Good Afternoon,
Last week, I sent a note on vaccine registration and distribution. I mentioned that my colleagues and I have been advocating for a registration system that moves away from a first come, first served appointment system. Tomorrow, DC will launch a pre-registration system for vaccine appointments.
For now, only eligible residents should pre-register. This will help with getting the system off the ground. To check if you are eligible, click here.
You can register online at vaccinate.dc.gov or call 1-855-363-0333 Monday – Friday, 8am – 7pm; Saturday & Sunday, 8am – 4pm. You do not need to rush to the website or to dial the call center tomorrow morning, as there is no advantage to being in the system first. The process used to offer appointments is randomized and will be adjusted periodically to ensure people are not being passed over.
Here’s how the new system will start:
- Wednesday, March 10: Pre-registration opens
- Friday, March 12: First batch of invitations to make an appointment will go out (calls/texts/emails)
- Monday, March 15: First vaccinations begin taking place and a second set of invitations will go out (calls/texts/emails)
After this initial week, invitations will be sent out on Thursdays and Sundays by 10:00am and Tuesdays by 10:00am if any appointments need to be filled.
You can see below in the presentation by DC Health, what they shared the notifications will look like:
Once notified via email, phone or text (based on your preference), you will have 48 hours to book an appointment. If you miss the 48-hour window, your name will remain in the system for a future random selection.
DC is receiving 24,760 doses this week – this is a huge jump from the early weeks in January when we were only receiving around 4,000 doses a week!
- 14,680 for vaccinate.dc.gov and call center
- 7,210 for hospitals and health centers
- 2,870 for special initiatives
You may have heard that DC opened a high-capacity vaccine site over the weekend. Two more high-capacity vaccination sites will be opening soon. Everyone who registers will eventually get vaccinated.
I get a lot of emails from people who have heard about how my office is assisting others in using the online vaccination system and are interested in helping as well. Now it should be much easier to help. Anyone can volunteer, by reaching out to seniors or other eligible residents and helping them pre-register. There is also a volunteer effort coordinated by the Mount Pleasant Village, ANC 1D, and community members called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. You can volunteer with them to help sign up eligible residents by filling out their online form here.
Parking Enforcement in School Zones
Not related to vaccines, but a time-sensitive announcement: The Department of Public Works will resume parking enforcement in school zones. Warnings will start on March 15 and $25 fines will be issued beginning on March 22.