Older CMS teachers to get priority for Spectrum Center mass vaccination COVID shots
Novant Health said Tuesday it plans to vaccinate 2,000 people at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Saturday, including a number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers.
The hospital system is working with CMS to identify teachers age 65 and up, Novant Health infectious disease expert Dr. David Priest told reporters.
COVID-19 vaccination appointments at the event aren’t open to the general public, Priest said. Novant will be prioritizing CMS teachers, community health care workers like EMTs and Novant Health patients age 65 and up, he said.
“The location is phenomenal,” Priest said. “We have public transportation, we have nearby parking. It’s one of the more accessible locations in uptown Charlotte.”
Other sites used for mass vaccination
The Spectrum Center event is set to follow other recent mass vaccination events in the Charlotte area, including Atrium Health vaccination events at Bank of America Stadium and the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Novant Health has also held smaller vaccine clinics throughout the community at local churches. And the hospital system held one event at McClintock Middle School, vaccinating about 165 people.
And more than 3,500 people were vaccinated at Novant’s vaccination clinics at the Park Expo & Conference Center.
CMS plans for return to school
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board members will meet Tuesday night to make a final decision on bringing students back to in-person instruction, but school system leaders say they are confident in the plan to return next week.
Under the current plan, pre-K and elementary students, along with a small fraction of middle school students and some students with special needs, will return to rotating days in classrooms starting on Feb. 15. Middle and high school students will begin rotations on Feb. 22.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 10:17 AM.
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