4,000 more people to get COVID vaccine this weekend at Sarasota drive-thru clinic

A drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic will see approximately 4,000 more people immunized against the novel coronavirus this weekend in Sarasota.

Vaccination is by appointment-only, and the slots will be filled with seniors 65 and up and healthcare workers who are next in line in Sarasota County’s vaccine standby list, known as the Everbridge vaccine registration system.

Unlike Manatee County’s randomized vaccine pool, Sarasota County’s list operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

The city of Sarasota is hosting the clinic, and the vaccines will be distributed on Saturday and Sunday at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Those who secure an appointment need to bring a valid ID along with a vaccination consent form that is available through scgov.net.

Anyone who is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19 should not go to the site, according to city of Sarasota, and officials are also asking people who do not have an appointment for the clinic to avoid the Van Wezel area over the weekend.

Sarasota Mayor Hagen Brody and city staff worked with the state and local officials to set up the clinic site in city limits. The state then provided the extra doses for the event in its regular weekly shipment of vaccines to the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County.

Florida residents who qualify to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can sign-up for Sarasota County’s vaccine waiting list online at scgov.net or dial 941-861-8297 for phone assistance. Sarasota County residency is not required.

This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 4:05 PM.