COVID-19 Vaccinations Underway At Hard Rock Stadium, Tropical Park
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - COVID-19 vaccinations are now being administered at Tropical Park and Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said appointments can be made for the state-run site at Hard Rock Stadium by calling 1-888-499-0840, the TTY number is 1-888-256-8918.
They will be making 1,000 appointments per day over the coming weeks.
The vaccinations are by appointment only, no drive-ups or walk-ups allowed.
People who get an afternoon appointment are urged not to show up in the morning just to get in line as it bogs down the process.
Levine Cava tweeted that more registration options will be released in the coming days.
"Demand is much greater than supply so we are working hard with our cities and our private partners to get more vaccine and we will get that out to the community as quickly as we receive them. For those who haven't gotten the vaccine, I assure you we are doing everything to scale up vaccines around the community. Our top priority is getting shots in the arms as soon as we can," said Cava.
Hard Rock Stadium is the first state-run testing site to be converted into a vaccine site. The site will continue to provide COVID-19 testing while offering COVID-19 vaccinations.
RELATED: What You Need To Know About Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine In South Florida
Hundreds of people with appointments waited in line Friday for their vaccinations at Tropical Park.
"It was easy and they were very, very friendly, we couldn't ask for better," said Norman Hausfater who got vaccinated.
Hausfater said he was thrilled to get an appointment.
"It's very important so that we can safe for our family and that we, in fact, can go back to our regular life," he said.
Christy DeBartolo and her husband Thomas, who drove to the site from Marathon, said the process was easy.
"They asked if we had an appointment, then it was just a matter of doing whatever paperwork they had to do and then giving us the vaccination. Then they put a time on the window for how long we have to sit because they want to observe you to make sure you're not having a reaction," said Christy DeBartolo.
"It was very organized. There were just a couple of individuals you had to say you were here for the vaccination and they pointed you immediately to where you needed to go, it was no hassle, no fuss," said Thomas DeBartolo.
DeBartolo, a doctor, was grateful to get vaccinated. He's 72 and has medical conditions.
"I have significant heart disease, heart failure, and kidney issues, so it just means other things that put you at risk," he said.
"My husband has a lot of heart issues, so it's just wonderful to know he's gotten the vaccine. Our son is getting married at the end of April, it's going to be very nice knowing we have the vaccination," said Christy. "Our daughter's getting married in August, so it's a huge relief."
Everyone who was vaccinated was given a card with the time to return in four weeks for their second and final dose.
Appointments for Tropical Park vaccinations can be made at miamidade.gov/vaccine when they are available.
The county will be opening a limited number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments for seniors 65+ on Friday, January 8, at 4 p.m.
What To Expect?
Once arriving at the site, individuals will be directed to a separate lane to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Once an individual is in the appropriate lane, they will provide contact information so the state can work with them on arranging a time to receive their second dose.
All individuals are encouraged to bring a government-issued form of identification and health insurance information to the site.
The government-issued ID does not need to be a Florida Driver's License.
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