Mercedes-Benz Stadium to become federal COVID-19 vaccination site

ATLANTA - The White House and the state of Georgia have announced a partnership that will make a federal COVID-19 vaccination site at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Officials say the Community Vaccination Center, or CVC, will operate seven days a week for an eight-week period and can administer up to 6,000 shots per day.

The center is a partnership between the Biden Administration, Georgia Department of Public Health, Fulton County, the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and the stadium.

The White House says that the site will be run by mostly federal staff with help from the state and local governments.

The CVC is expected to be up and running in the next two weeks.

"Governor Kemp is proud to partner with the federal government, Fulton County, and private partners to vaccinate more Georgians at the Mercedes Benz stadium," a spokesperson for the Governor's Office told FOX 5. "By working together at a federal, state, and local level, we can save lives and get Georgians back to normal."

SEE ALSO: FEMA to open mass vaccination site at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium

In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms sent her thanks to the Biden administration "for delivering on their commitment to the people of Atlanta." 

"Last month, I had the honor of joining a bipartisan group of governors and mayors at the White House to discuss the needs of our communities, particularly equity in vaccine distribution," Bottoms said. "Today's announcement further solidifies that the needs of the people of Atlanta remain a priority for the Biden Administration."

Officials say they chose the site due to Fulton County's place in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index, which takes into consideration socioeconomic status, minority status, transportations, languages, and more. 

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Currently, Georgians who are eligible for vaccination include health care workers, residents and staff of long-term facilities, and people who are age 65 or older. On Monday, the eligibility is extended to teachers and staff of pre-kindergarten through 12th grade as well as adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their caregivers, and parents of children with complex medical conditions.

As of Friday, Georgia has administered over 2.2 million vaccinations across the state - about 78% of the total vaccines shipped to the state.

In Fulton County, 336,603 vaccinations have been administered.

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