CLARKSVILLE, TN (WKRN) – Montgomery County and Clarksville city leaders are working to find another location for administering the COVID-19 vaccine where the weather will not cause delays.
More than 15,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Montgomery County since the start of the pandemic and 160 people have died as of Thursday’s update from the Tennessee Department of Health; the state reported about 1,200 active cases on Thursday as well.
Montgomery County is currently vaccinating people in phase 1a1, 1a2 and those over the age of 75.
County Mayor Jim Durrett said the county and city are actively looking for another vaccination site because there was a two-hour delay in vaccinations earlier this week when storms rolled through the area.
“Our people just couldn’t vaccinate. There was lightning. It was storming, even though we have tents, even though Montgomery County has provided trailers for the employees to seek shelter in. Montgomery County and the City of Clarksville, we’re looking at an alternative site that will be an all-weather site where we don’t have delays,” Mayor Durrett said.
“Especially coming up this time of year in spring where we get quite a few thunderstorms and some inclement weather that comes through here, and if we’ve got 300 people lined up to get a vaccine we want that to happen.”
About 2.4 percent of the county’s residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The county’s mask mandate that was set to expire Friday was extended to February 27. Mayor Durrett said statistics show masks help with containing the spread of the virus.
“We’re hoping that we can get more vaccines, that we can get more vaccines in people’s arms and hopefully get rid of this mask mandate,” the mayor said.