Mahoning leaders push for minorities to get vaccinated, offer free rides to clinics
YOUNGSTOWN - Leaders in Mahoning County continue their push to get the minority community vaccinated for COVID-19.
A news conference Thursday morning at the Covelli Centre mass vaccination clinic site featured city leaders and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. It was held to bring awareness to the Minority Community Vaccination Action Group, which aims to address concerns in the minority community about COVID-19 and helping them get vaccinated.
People in Mahoning County who are in need of a vaccine appointment can call the Minority Community Vaccination Action Group at 330-207-3461 or text "Need Vaccine" to the number. If you need a free ride, people can call 330-716-2684 or 330-716-2843.
Andrea Mahone Blackmon with the organization says their goal is to increase vaccinations for the Black and Hispanic communities. They hope to do this by providing information about the vaccine, quick appointment registration and free transportation to and from the appointment. When it comes to rides, Blackmon says they will pick up a person in need from anywhere in Mahoning County.
DeWine applauded city leaders for their efforts and says 38.3 percent of people in Mahoning County got their first shots. He says those are good numbers and the state average is actually a little bit behind this at 38.05 percent.
The city of Youngstown has vaccinated more than 23,000 people and Mahoning County Public Health officials have vaccinated more than 20,000 people. However, local and state officials are concerned since the turnout at vaccine clinics has been lower.
Mahoning County Health Commissioner Ryan Tekac says they have 1,000 appointments for a Friday clinic at the former Southern Park Mall Dillard's. They currently have only 307 of those openings filled. Tekac is encouraging community members to sign up to get the Moderna vaccine.
DeWine also responded to questions about the turnouts at vaccine clinics saying he is concerned because the numbers have gone down. He thinks the uncertainty with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has played some role in the decrease but urges the vaccine is how we get things back to normal.
"This vaccine is how we get our freedom back. This vaccine is how we got our world back. But to get there, we've got to have everybody take that opportunity," DeWine said.
DeWine also warned people to not take the good news that COVID cases have started to trend downward over the last few days because of the growing variant of the virus.
"We do have a variant out there that is multiplying. It is about 40 percent more contagious... so that's the danger we have out there," DeWine said. "Can we get people vaccinated fast enough, or is this variant going to take over?"
DeWine says that for those who have not been vaccinated, this is probably the most dangerous period in time because of this very active variant that is out there.
"We are still losing people in Ohio every single day, and we don't have to lose them," DeWine said.
Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown added city leaders will be going out in the community to let people know about the resources they are offering.
"We will come out into the community because now we're not going to wait for them to come to us. We've got to go out to the community," Brown said.
