Want a COVID-19 vaccine in Manatee? You will have to prove you live in Florida
Seniors will soon need to prove they are full or part-time Florida residents in order to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the state.
With COVID-19 vaccines in high demand as supplies remain low, at least one county in the state began implementing the residency requirement earlier this week. But now a residency requirement for a vaccine is being implemented statewide.
The decision came from Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to an email from County Administrator Cheri Coryea to county commissioners on Wednesday night.
Just before 3 p.m. Thursday, the state confirmed the decision with a public health advisory from Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees. Because “the COVID-19 vaccine remains scarce within the United States and vaccine availability in Florida is extremely limited,” the advisory declared prioritizing Florida residents was necessary.
The advisory outlines how vaccine providers must verify that recipients are either residents or frontline healthcare workers in Florida to work. To prove their residency, people will need to show a valid Florida Drivers License or ID card, a utility bill showing a Florida address and their name or, if they are “snowbirds” or other part-time residents, a part-time rental agreement.
The change will apply to anyone still in the county’s vaccine standby pool when future appointments become available. Anyone in the pool contacted for an appointment in the future will be made aware that they will have to prove their Florida residency at the time of their appointment.
As of Thursday, there are 1,056 people fully inoculated in Manatee County and an additional 16,924 people who have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to state health department’s daily county-by-county vaccine report.
Meanwhile, in Manatee on Thursday there were 153 new coronavirus cases reported. Since the start of the pandemic there have 26,755 people in or from Manatee County who have been infected and 464 people who have died from COVID-19.
The county made a public announcement about the vaccine change late Thursday morning in a news release saying, “Following new guidance from the Florida Department of Health, Manatee County will begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments for full and part-time Florida residents only whenever new doses arrive.”
About 143,000 seniors ages 65 and older are currently registered in the county’s vaccination standby pool.
“Public Safety officials do not expect the new Florida residency requirement to significantly reduce the demand for vaccines locally since very few people have arrived from out of state for initial vaccinations,” that announcement also stated.
Earlier, a Facebook post by Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia announced the change, sparking confusion and controversy. County employees had not yet been informed of the decision, and residents calling 311 were being told Servia’a information was incorrect on Thursday morning, before the county issued its news release.
This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 12:14 PM.
